ENTY-FOUR  LITTLE 

ENCH  DINNERS 

•nd  ' 

low  to  Cook 
id  Serve  Them 


ORA  MOORE 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


THE  GASTRONOMY  COLLECTION  OF 
GEORGE  HOLL 


AGRIC. 

LIBRARY 


TWENTY-FOUR  LITTLE 
FRENCH  DINNERS 

AND 

How  to  Cook  and  Serve  Them 


TWENTY- FOUR  LITTLE 
FRENCH  DINNERS 

AND 

How  to  Cook  and  Serve  Them 

BY 

CORA    MOORE 


NEW  YORK 

E.  P.  BUTTON  &  COMPANY 

681  FIFTH  AVENUE 


COPYRIGHT  1919,  BY 
E.  P.  BUTTON  &  COMPANY 


All  Rights  Reserved 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 


7X7/7 

M75 


'     ;. 

IRARY 


PREFACE 

The  Little  Dinners  of  Paris  are  world- 
famous.  No  one  can  have  sojourned 
in  the  fascinating  capital  in  its  normal 
days  without  having  come  under  their 
spell.  To  Parisien  and  visitor  alike 
they  are  accounted  among  the  uniquely 
characteristic  features  of  the  city's 
routine  life. 

Much  of  the  interest  that  attaches  to 
them  is,  of  course,  due  to  local  atmos- 
phere, to  the  associations  that  surround 
the  quaint  restaurants,  half  hidden  in 
unexpected  nooks  and  by-ways,  to  the 
fact  that  old  Jacques  "waits"  in  his 
shirtsleeves  or  that  Grosse  Marie  serves 
you  with  a  smile  as  expansive  as  her 
own  proportions,  or  that  it  is  Justin  or 
Frangois  or  "Old  Monsoor,"  with  his 
eternal  grouch,  who  glides  about  the 
zinc  counter. 

But  there  is  also  magic  in  the  arrange- 
ment of  the  menus,  in  the  combinations 


vi  PREFACE 

of  food,  in  the  very  names  of  the  con- 
fections and  in  the  little  Gallic  touches 
that,  simple  though  they  are,  transform 
commonplace  dishes  into  gastronomic 
delights. 

There  is  inspiration  in  the  art  that 
enters  into  the  production  of  a  French 
dinner,  in  the  perfect  balance  of  every 
item  from  hors  d'oeuvre  to  cafe  noir, 
in  the  ways  with  seasoning  that  work 
miracles  with  left-overs  and  preserve 
the  daily  routine  of  three  meals  a  day 
from  the  deadly  monotony  of  the 
American  regime,  in  the  garnishings 
that  glorify  the  most  insignificant  con- 
coctions into  objects  of  appetising 
beauty  and  in  the  sauces  that  elevate 
indifferent  dishes  into  the  realm  of 
creations  and  enable  a  French  cook  to 
turn  out  a  dinner  fit  for  capricious 
young  gods  from  what  an  American 
cook  wastes  in  preparing  one. 

The  very  economy  of  the  French  is 
an  art,  and  there  is  art  in  their  economy. 
It  is  true  that  their  dishes,  as  we  have 
known  them  in  this  country,  are  expen- 


PREFACE  vii 

sive,  even  extravagant,  but  that  is  be- 
cause they  have  been  for  the  most  part 
the  creations  of  high-priced  chefs.  They 
who  have  made  eating  an  avocation 
know  that  it  is  not  necessary  to  dine 
expensively  in  order  to  dine  well. 

C.  M. 

New  York,  May,  1919. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 


PREFACE     v 

THE  BUGBEAR  OF  AMERICAN  COOKERY 
—MONOTONY 1 

FLAVOR — HANDMAID  OF  VARIETY  .       9 

TRUE  TRAILS  TOWARD  ECONOMY  .     15 

THE  APPEAL  TO  THE  EYE     .       .  .21 

SAUCES,  SIMPLE  AND  OTHERWISE  .     25 

TWENTY-FOUR  LITTLE  FRENCH  DIN- 
NERS        33 

(With  Directions  for  Preparing) 

LET  Us  EAT  FISH!.  109 


TWENTY-FOUR  LITTLE 
FRENCH  DINNERS 

AND 

Haw  to  Cook  and  Serve  Them 


THE  BUGBEAR  OF  AMERICAN 
COOKERY— MONOTONY 

It  is  as  strange  as  it  is  true  that  with 
the  supplies  that  have  lately  proved 
sufficient  to  feed  a  world  to  draw  upon 
the  chief  trouble  with  American  cookery 
is  its  monotony.  The  American  cook 
has  a  wider  variety  of  foods  at  his  com- 
mand than  any  other  in  the  world,  yet 
in  the  average  home  how  rarely  is  it 
that  the  palate  is  surprised  with  a  flavor 
that  didn't  have  its  turn  on  the  cor- 
responding day  last  week  or  tickled 
with  a  sauce  that  is  in  itself  an  inspira- 
tion and  a  delight,  not  a  mere  "gravy," 
liable  to  harden  into  lumps  of  grease 
when  it  cools. 

Most  of  this  is  simply  the  result  of 
blindly  following  tradition.  Daughter 
has  accepted  mother's  precepts,  regard- 
ing them  even  as  the  law  of  the  Medes 
and  the  Persians,  "which  altereth  not," 


2        TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

and  if  it  were  not  that  increased  prices 
and,  lately,  at  least,  "food  regulations," 
have  veritably  compelled  her  toward  a 
more  wholesome  simplicity,  the  United 
States  would  probably  be  what  it  was 
called  half  a  generation  ago,  "a  nation 
of  dyspeptics."  And  we  were  a  nation 
of  dyspeptics  because  the  great  Ameri- 
can mother  of  the  latter  end  of  the 
Nineteenth  Century,  in  spite  of  all  her 
unequaled  qualities  in  every  other 
direction,  and  in  spite  of  all  the  enco- 
miums she  received  in  resounding  prose 
or  ecstatic  verse  for  her  prowess  in  the 
kitchen,  was  from  the  points  of  view  of 
health,  economy  and  wisdom  the  worst 
cook  in  the  world. 

With  prices  as  they  are  the  American 
housewife  cannot  afford  to  use  butter 
and  eggs  and  flour  with  the  prodigality 
that  was  a  habit  with  her  mother,  but  so 
limited  is  the  average  woman's  knowl- 
edge of  cookery  that  these  restrictions 
merely  mean  more  monotony  than  ever. 
It  is  partly  to  demonstrate  that  this 
state  of  things  is  unnecessary  and  that 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS        3 

true  food  economy  is  not  at  all  syn- 
onymous with  "going  without"  that 
this  book  has  been  compiled. 

It  is  upon  variety  that  the  French 
cook  confidently  relies  to  make  each  dish 
of  each  meal  not  just  something  to  eat 
because  her  family  must  have  food,  not 
merely  a  sop  to  the  Cerberus-gnawings 
of  hunger,  but  a  delight  to  the  eye,  to 
the  palate,  to  the  stomach — truly  a 
consummation  devoutly  to  be  wished 
for  the  American  home  table,  and  just 
as  possible  to  attain  as  it  is  possible  to 
procure  from  the  grocer  or  the  nearest 
pharmacist  the  ingredients  by  which 
these  wonders  are  wrought. 

But  the  average  American  woman 
doesn't  look  beyond  her  own  kitchen 
and  her  own  traditional  row  of  spice 
boxes  for  her  flavorings.  She  has  her 
"kitchen  set,"  which  ordinarily  com- 
prises a  row  of  little  receptacles  labeled 
"pepper,"  "salt,"  "cloves,"  "allspice," 
"ginger,"  "cinnamon,"  "nutmeg,"  and 
possibly  one  or  two  other  spices  or  con- 
diments— rarely  more.  With  these  and 


4        TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

a  bottle  each  of  lemon  extract  and 
vanilla,  she  is  satisfied  that  she  is  fully 
equipped  as  far  as  flavoring  possibili- 
ties are  concerned. 

If  she  has  laid  in  a  box  of  sage  and  one 
of  mixed  dressing  with,  perhaps,  some 
paprika  and  thyme,  she  views  her  fore- 
sigh  tedness  with  much  complacency. 
She  is  supplied  with  savories. 

Then  she  goes  right  on  sighing,  "Oh, 
for  a  new  meat,  instead  of  the  same  old 
round  of  mutton,  pork,  beef  and  fish; 
fish,  beef,  mutton  and  pork,"  disclaim- 
ing utterly  any  responsibility  for  the 
monotony  that  is  undermining  the 
family  health  and  temper  and,  quite 
possibly,  its  morals. 

That  is  where  the  American  house- 
wife makes  her  primary  and  most  im- 
portant mistake.  The  French,  on  the 
other  hand,  know  that  there  are,  liter- 
ally, hundreds  of  ways  to  vary  every 
dish,  however  ordinary  it  may  be  in  its 
primary  state.  That  is  their  secret  of 
success:  unfailing  variety  coupled  with 
economy. 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS        5 

However,  this  is  not  to  claim  that  the 
American  palate  would  take  kindly  to 
all  the  French  cooks'  little  delicacies, 
or  that  it  could  be  cultivated  to  that 
degree  that  makes  a  Frenchman  regard 
a  perfectly  balanced  meal  even  as  an 
inspired  poem. 

Probably  Americans,  as  a  class,  could 
never  be  induced  to  eat  some  of  the 
little  birds — the  mauviettes,  the  alouettes, 
the  sparrows  baked  in  a  pie,  that  so 
delight  the  Frenchman.  Also,  it  is  a 
question  whether  snails,  even  if  it  were 
possible  to  obtain  the  superior  Bur- 
gundian,  fat  and  juicy  and  cooked  even 
as  our  own  Oscar  used  to  prepare  them 
for  certain  Waldorf  guests,  would  ever 
appeal  to  the  American  taste,  as  even 
the  common  hedgerow  sort  of  snail 
does  to  the  average  Frenchman. 

It  is  not  that  the  French  dinners  of 
Monte  Carlo  are  necessarily  so  superior 
to  American  shore  dinners,  or  that  the 
little  dinners  of  Paris  are  so  infinitely 
to  be  preferred  to  those,  say,  of  certain 
places  in  New  Orleans,  or  that  the 


6        TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

coppery-tasting  oysters  of  Havre  are 
to  be  compared  with  those  of  our  own 
Baltimore.  There  is  no  more  to  be 
said,  probably,  for  the  woodcock  pate's 
of  old  Montreuil,  or  the  rillettes  of  Tours, 
or  the  little  pots  of  custard  one  gets  at 
the  foreign  Montpelier,  or  the  vol-au- 
vent,  which  is  the  pride  and  boast  of 
the  cities  of  Provence,  than  there  is  for 
grandmother's  cookies  such  as  have 
put  Camden,  Maine,  on  the  map,  or 
Lady  Baltimore  cakes,  or  the  chicken 
pies  one  goes  to  northern  New  Hamp- 
shire to  find  in  their  glory,  or  the  tur- 
keys that,  as  much  as  the  Green  Moun- 
tains, make  Vermont's  fame. 

Still,  there  is  no  question  but  that 
the  American  palate  would  benefit  much 
by  being  cultivated,  not  only  in  the 
interests  of  economy,  but  also  with  a 
view  to  the  increase  of  gastronomic 
pleasure,  for  a  taste  attuned  to  many 
variations  is  as  an  ear  sensitive  to  the 
nuances  of  sweet  sounds  or  an  eye 
trained  to  perceive  delicate  tones  and 
tints.  It  is  really  a  matter  for  regret 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS        7 

that  we,  as  a  people,  have  not  been  as 
willing  to  learn  from  the  French  the 
art  of  cooking  and  eating  as  we  have 
been  to  acquire  from  them  knowledge 
of  the  art  of  dress.  Until  we  widen  our 
horizon  sufficiently  to  do  this,  we  have 
not  even  begun  to  develop  all  our  food 
resources  or  to  understand  the  first 
principles  of  true  food  economy — which 
is  not  at  all  synonymous  with  "going 
without." 


FLAVOR,    HANDMAID     OF    VARIETY 

It  is  because  he  has  a  multitude  of 
seasonings  at  his  command  and  knows 
how  to  use  them  that  the  French  cook 
is  enabled  not  only  to  send  to  the  table 
an  infinite  variety  of  dishes,  but,  at 
the  same  time,  to  practice  economies 
that  were  otherwise  impossible.  The 
American  buys  an  expensive  cut  of 
meat  and,  as  is  right  in  such  a  case, 
treats  it  as  plainly  and  simply  as  possi- 
ble. The  Frenchman  buys  meat  of  a 
much  lower  quality,  but  so  embellishes 
it  that  when  it  comes  to  the  table  it  is 
superior,  or,  at  least,  equal  to  that  which 
costs  much  more. 

It  may  be  objected  that  this  is  no 
real  economy,  because  by  the  time  the 
French  cook  has  sauced  and  spiced  his 
cheap  cut  in  order  to  make  it  palatable, 
the  cost  is  as  great,  if  not  greater  than 
it  would  have  been  had  he  paid  more 
9 


10      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

for  his  meat  in  the  first  place.  This 
would  be  true  enough  according  to  the 
average  American's  method  of  proced- 
ure. But  it  is  to  be  remembered  that 
the  French  cook  has  already  in  his 
kitchen  the  cooking  vinegars,  the  spices, 
the  dried  herbs,  the  extracts,  that  in 
very  small  amounts — a  dash  or  a  few 
leaves — are  used  at  a  time;  also,  that 
in  a  great  number  of  cases,  gravies  and 
sauces  are  made  from  the  by-products 
of  the  main  dishes — those  by-products 
that  in  the  American  kitchen  usually 
go  down  the  sink-drain  or  into  the  gar- 
bage pail. 

Take  a  peep  into  the  typical  French 
cupboard.  There  you  will  find  from 
twenty-five  to  thirty  liquid  seasonings 
such  as  anchovy  extract,  tobasco  sauce, 
meat  extracts,  mushroom  catsup,  to- 
mato paste,  chutney,  various  vinegars, 
Worchestershire  and  many  another  flav- 
oring designed  to  give  a  tang  and  a 
eest  even  to  the  most  unpromising  dish, 
if  used  aright.  There  you  will  find, 
too,  fifty  or  more  dry  seasonings,  includ- 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS      11 

ing  anise,  basil,  saffron,  savoury,  clove 
or  garlic,  cassia  buds,  bay  leaf,  ginger 
root,  pepper-corns,  marjoram,  mint, 
thyme,  capers  and  so  on. 

Herein  lie  the  "secrets"  of  French 
cookery  which  are,  in  truth,  not  secrets 
at  all,  but  merely  the  application  of 
common  sense  to  the  cuisine.  The 
French  have  never  allowed  their  taste 
to  be  restricted  by  prejudice,  so  they 
hail  a  new  flavor  with  delight  rather 
than  registering  an  instinctive  dislike 
because  it  is  not  familiar.  With  a 
little  applied  education,  Americans  can 
bring  the  charm  of  the  French  table 
to  their  own  homes  rather  than  when 
they  are,  as  they  say,  tired  of  the 
same  old  round  of  "eats,"  seeking  out 
a  nondescript  table  d'hote  restaurant 
and  eagerly  consuming  what  is  set 
before  them,  grateful  for  a  change. 

But  don't  harden  your  heart  against 
French  cookery  merely  because  you 
have  sampled  it,  as  you  fondly  think, 
at  one  or  another  of  the  "red-inkeries" 
of  New  York  or  any  other  city.  For 


12      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS  ^ 

the  most  part  the  "French"  restaurants 
of  the  land  are  in  reality  not  French 
at  all,  but  Italian  for  the  most  part, 
and  whatever  Gallic  flavor  the  remain- 
der ever  possessed  has  well-nigh  :  van- 
ished. There  may  be  exceptions  but, 
if  there  are,  their  patrons  carefully 
guard  the  secret. 

But  to  return  to  our  subject:  It  is 
the  French  cook's  knowledge  of  the 
subtleties,  the  nuances  of  seasoning 
that  stands  him  in  good  stead.  The 
American  woman  who  has  essayed  to 
use  some  spice  or  savory  unfamiliar  to 
her  and  has  turned  out  a  dish  which  her 
family  has  declared  "tasted  like  medi- 
cine" is,  naturally  enough,  discouraged 
from  wandering  after  that  particular 
strange  god  again.  The  truth  is  that 
she  has  overdone  the  seasoning.  She 
doesn't  want  to  be  parsimonious,  which 
is  just  what  the  French  cook  is  with 
his  flavors,  only  he,  more  scientifically, 
calls  it  using  good  judgment.  If  he 
uses  garlic  in  a  salad,  it  doesn't  neces- 
sarily follow  that  the  entire  household 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS      13 

must  take  on  the  atmosphere  of  an 
Italian  barber  shop,  for  he  uses  garlic 
or  onion,  not  to  give  their  flavor  to  a 
dish,  but  to  bring  out  the  flavors  of  the 
vegetables  with  which  they  are  used. 

Vanilla  and  lemon  have  an  almost 
universal  appeal  to  the  palate,  and 
knowing  this,  the  American  cook,  like 
the  generation  before  her,  has  always 
seasoned  her  rice  puddings,  for  instance, 
with  one  or  the  other,  just  as  her  apple 
sauce  has  invariably  been  flavored  with 
lemon  or  nutmeg,  her  bread  pudding 
with  vanilla,  and  so  all  along  her  re- 
stricted line. 

The  French  cook  holds  no  brief 
against  vanilla,  and  sometimes  he  flavors 
his  rice  pudding  with  it,  but  he  so 
guides  matters  that  the  very  sight  or 
mention  of  rice  pudding  does  not  bring 
the  thought  of  vanilla  to  the  mind,  for 
with  him  it  may  be  flavored  with 
pistache  or  rose  or  have  a.  geranium  leaf 
baked  in  it,  giving  a  delightful,  in- 
describable flavor.  An  ordinary  bread 
pudding  becomes  veritably  a  queen  of 


14      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

puddings  as,  indeed,  it  is  called,  merely 
by  having  a  layer  of  jam  through  its 
center  and  a  simple  icing  spread  over 
the  top.  Ordinary  pea  soup  exhib- 
its chameleon-like  possibilities  merely 
through  the  addition  of  a  little  celery- 
root,  a  dash  of  curry  or  the  admixture 
of  a  few  spoonfuls  of  minced  spinach, 
and  tomato  soup  has  for  most  an  appeal 
that  even  this  favorite  of  soups  never 
had  before  when  just  the  right  amount 
of  thyme  is  added  while  it  simmers, 
along  with,  perhaps  a  bayleaf . 

In  the  recipes  appended  to  the  little 
dinners  in  this  book  a  great  many  of  the 
French  cooks'  materials  ar-1  methods 
of  procedure  are  set  forth.  But  if  the 
ordinarily  experimental  American  house- 
wife has  the  flavorings  on  hand,  she 
will  doubtless  herself  contrive  many  an 
alluring  dish  of  her  own.  Variety  is 
said  to  be  the  spice  of  life.  However 
that  may  be,  the  spices  and  their 
friends,  the  herbs,  certainly  make  for 
variety  in  that  important  function  of 
life,  the  dinner  table. 


TRUE  TRAILS  TOWARD  ECONOMY 

In  the  first  place,  no  trail  toward 
economy  in  conducting  the  cuisine  of  a 
household  lies  through  the  delicatessen 
store  or  the  "fancy"  grocery.  It  is  an 
unflattering  comment  on  the  spirit  of 
thrift  of  American  housewives  that  the 
delicatessen  store  has  settled  down  to 
such  a  flourishing  existence,  particu- 
larly in  Eastern  cities.  Any  woman 
who  possesses  a  stove  and  a  kitchen 
of  her  own  should  be  ashamed  to  admit 
the  laziness  that  more  than  a  semi- 
occasional  visit  to  these  "delicate  eat- 
ing" places  predicates.  There  are  few 
things  to  be  had  in  them  that  she 
shouldn't  be  able  to  make  better  at 
home  and  at  a  cost  that  is  but  a  fraction 
of  what  she  has  to  pay  for  the  usually 
inferior,  impersonal  messes  that  come 
ready-made. 

If  the  housewife  has  read  some  of  the 
very  excellent  instructions  that  were 

15 


16      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

printed  to  help  her  conduct  her  house- 
hold adequately  amid  the  necessary 
limitations  of  wartime,  she  already 
knows  that  there  is  absolutely  no  ex- 
cuse for  ever  throwing  away  a  crust  or 
crumb  of  bread.  As  for  that,  neither  is 
there  any  excuse  for  ever  disposing  of 
what  is  left  of  the  morn  ng  cereal  except 
to  the  advantage  of  some  later  made 
dish,  or  of  consigning  meat  scraps  or 
bits  of  fat  or  even  bones  to  the  garbage 
pail.  It  is  not  only  that,  in  the  interests 
of  economy,  she  should  use  them;  it 
is  rather  that  if  she  is  a  good  cook  she 
will  be  very  glad  to  have  them  to  use. 

Stale  bread  and  breadcrumbs  are 
the  bases  of  a  score  of  the  most  delicious 
puddings  on  the  French  cook's  card; 
cooked  cereal  is  one  of  the  best  thicken- 
ings for  soups  and  gravies,  as  well  as 
being  far  more  wholesome  than  flour  for 
this  purpose;  meat  scraps,  trimmings 
and  bones  should  go  into  the  stock  pot. 
When  a  soup  made  of  these  is  served 
as  the  introductory  course  at  dinner 
it  will  be  found  that  the  family  will  be 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS      17 

fully  satisfied  with  much  less  meat,  and 
it  is  in  the  lessening  dependence  of 
Americans  on  meat  that  will  make  for 
the  greatest  item  in  economy. 

A  French  cook  of  parts  would  tear 
his  hair  if  he  could  see  how  fats  and 
drippings  from  meats  are  thrown  away 
in  many  an  American  kitchen.  They 
are  poured  into  the  sink  till  the  drain 
pipes  clog  and,  to  complete  the  little 
serial  of  extravagance,  the  plumber  has 
to  be  called.  The  French  cook  knows 
that  this  is  the  finest  grease  for  frying  in 
the  world  and  that  its  use  would  save 
many  a  pound  of  butter.  He  strains 
it  all  carefully  and  keeps  the  different 
sorts  in  labelled  jars  or  crocks.  He 
knows  by  experience  what  particular 
fats  give  the  best  flavors  to  certain 
things,  and  he  knows  that  vegetables, 
fish,  eggs,  pancakes  and  what  not  are 
far  better  fried  in  these  natural  fats. 
Who  that  ever  ate  an  egg  fried  in  bacon 
drippings  will  ever  want  one  cooked  in 
butter,  even  at  a  dollar  a  pound! 

One   will   not  find   the   delicatessen 


18      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

flourishing  in  France — one  will  not 
find  it  at  all — and  the  fancy  grocery, 
above  mentioned,  is  another  pitfall  for 
the  American  housewife.  She  likes  the 
sight  of  food  done  up  in  fancy  contain- 
ers, in  glass,  perhaps,  and  buys  them, 
not  realizing  that  she  is  paying  a  large 
price  for  perfectly  unnecessary  and 
totally  unnourishing  "pretties."  If  she 
is  fearful  of  the  handling  some  loose 
food  stuffs  may  be  subjected  to  in  the 
stores,  why  does  she  not  practice  the 
most  practical  economy,  go  to  the 
fountain-head  of  supplies  in  the  city, 
the  large  market,  and  buy  in  quantity, 
so  far  as  she  can?  A  few  ounces  of 
bacon,  already  sliced,  and  sealed  in  a 
glass  dish  are,  indeed,  appetising  even 
in  their  raw  state,  while  a  side  of  bacon 
is  not,  unless  looked  upon  through  the 
eyes  of  imagination,  yet  the  latter 
method  of  purchasing  this  commodity 
is  two  or  three  hundred  per  cent  cheaper, 
and  when  it  arrives  at  the  breakfast 
table  it  will  be  found  every  bit  as  ap- 
pealing to  a  happy  morning  appetite. 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS      19 

Any  consideration  of  economy  in  the 
cuisine  must  include  the  meat  problem. 
Meat  is  the  most  expensive  item  on  the 
menu  and  the  true  solution  of  the  ques- 
tion is  not  only  to  conserve  all  the  uses 
of  it  but  to  eat  much  less.  That  would 
make  not  only  for  economy,  but  for 
better  health  as  well. 

It  has  been  estimated  that  186  pounds 
of  dressed  meat  is — or  was  prior  to  the 
war — the  yearly  average  of  consump- 
tion for  every  American;  the  English- 
man being  a  good  second  with  his  120 
pounds,  while  the  Frenchman  remained 
perfectly  contented  and  healthy  with 
79  pounds,  the  Italian  with  72  pounds, 
and  the  Swiss,  anything  but  a  nation  of 
invalids,  managed  very  well  on  60 
pounds  per  person. 

This  is  no  plea  for  vegetarianism, 
though  it  may  be  said  in  passing  for  the 
benefit  of  those  who  think  that  good  red 
blood  and  hardy  muscle  are  to  be  ob- 
tained only  by  absorbing  the  red  blood 
and  muscle  of  the  beasts  of  the  field, 
that  there  is  as  much,  if  not  more,  of 


20      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

this  building  power  in  the  beans,  the 
peas,  the  lentils  that  we  regard  too  often 
as  mere  secondary  foods. 

Most  of  all  the  American  should  take 
advantage  of  the  great  stores  of  fish 
which  are  equally  as  nourishing  as  meat 
and  may  easily  be  made  as  appetising 
with  simple  sauces  that  French  cookery 
will  teach  us.  Fish  are  cheap;  at  least, 
many  neglected  kinds  are;  they  are  easy 
to  cook  and  they  are  one  of  the  best 
foods  in  the  world. 


THE  APPEAL  TO  THE  EYE 

No  one,  least  of  all  the  French  cook, 
calculates  to  feast  the  eye  at  the  expense 
of  the  sense  of  taste,  yet  it  is  his 
experience  after  long  years  that  good 
digestion  is  much  more  likely  to  wait 
upon  the  appetite  that  has  been  stirred 
to  a  preliminary  enthusiasm  by  the 
attractive  appearance  of  a  dish.  So 
they  serve  little  fritters  of  vegetables, 
dabs  of  jelly,  slices  of  hard  boiled  eggs, 
pickles,  parsley,  cress  and  nasturtiums 
with  meats,  put  sprigs  of  fresh  green 
in  their  gravies,  decorate  desserts  with 
nut-meats,  flowers  and  fruits,  and  in  so 
doing  add  a  bit  to  the  gayety  of  the 
table,  satisfied  that  the  trifling  extra 
expense,  time  and  energy  incurred  is 
more  than  compensated  for  in  the 
pleasure  the  results  afford.  A  fair  trial 
of  this  pleasant  idiosyncrasy  of  the 
French  is  convincing  that  the  appear- 

21 


22      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

ance  of  a  dish  has  more  bearing  on  the 
relish  of  a  meal  than  we  over  here  have 
fully  realized. 

They  are  particular,  however,  to  be 
consistent  in  the  use  of  garnishings. 
Flowers  and  fruits  are  reserved  for 
sweet  dishes,  except  in  the  case  of  nas- 
turtiums, which  they  regard  as  much  a 
vegetable  as  a  flower  and  use  freely  with 
meats. 

A  stew  or  a  creamed  dish  is  merely  a 
more  or  less  indifferent  something  to  eat 
when  it  is  dished  up  any  old  way  and 
set  upon  the  table.  But  if  it  is  heaped 
daintily  on  a  pretty  platter,  surrounded 
by  a  ring  of  brown  mashed  potato,  its 
sides  decorated  by  dainty  shapes  of 
toasted  bread,  perhaps  buttered  and 
sprinkled  with  minced  parsley,  it  has 
become  something  to  awaken  the  slum- 
bering or  indifferent  appetite  and  at 
practically  no  extra  expense  of  time  or 
money. 

If  the  yolks  of  two  hard  boiled  eggs 
are  minced  and  mixed  with  part  of  the 
raw  white  of  one,  the  paste  then  formed 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS       23 

into  balls  like  marbles  and  dropped 
into  boiling  water,  one  has  little  yellow 
spheres  to  lend  an  enlivening  color  note 
to  clear  soups.  Two  or  three  of  these 
dropped  into  each  plate  just  before 
serving  makes  a  pleasing  change  from 
the  usual  croutons. 

Sprigs  of  fresh  chickory  make  the 
daintiest  of  garnishes  for  cold  meats, 
and  a  few  of  the  tender  green  stalks 
will  add  to  the  appearance  of  practically 
any  salad.  As  for  water-cress  and 
pepper-grass  and,  of  course,  parsley, 
minced  and  otherwise,  no  French  chef 
would  think  of  preparing  a  meal  without 
a  plentiful  supply  of  them  on  hand. 

It  isn't  essential  that  every  dish 
should  be  turned  into  an  elaborate 
work  of  art,  as  if  it  were  to  be  entered 
at  the  annual  exhibition  of  the  Societe 
des  Chefs  de  Cuisine,  but  neither  is 
there  any  reason,  even  with  modest 
means  at  command,  for  giving  cause  for 
that  old  slogan  of  the  great  American 
dinner  table:  "It  tastes  better  than  it 
looks." 


SAUCES,  SIMPLE  AND  OTHERWISE 

Brillat-Savarin,  who  would  be  remem- 
bered as  a  wit  had  he  not  been  even 
more  brilliant  as  a  chef,  paid  his  respects 
to  the  English  by  saying  they  were  a 
nation  of  a  hundred  religions  and  only 
one  sauce.  Being  a  true  Frenchman  he 
believed  a  reversal  of  the  numbers 
better  for  the  soul.  It  is  certainly 
better  for  the  appetite. 

To  be  sure  the  proper  mental  sauce 
for  a  good  dinner  is  wit,  and  the  best 
physical  one,  hunger,  but  as  we  all  of 
us  have  more  or  less  of  an  Epicurean 
strain  in  us  and  do  not  eat  solely  to 
satisfy  bodily  needs,  it  is  well  that  the 
American  cook  who  essays  to  bring 
variety  to  her  board  should  have  some 
knowledge  of  those  Gallic  creations,  the 
sauces,  by  which  she  is  enabled  to  trans- 
form plain  dishes  into  seemingly  pre- 
25 


26      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

tentious  ones,  even  though  she  never 
attain  that  sauce  that  Balzac  knew, 
"in  which  a  mother  might  unsuspect- 
ingly eat  her  own  child." 

In  the  first  place  every  French  chef 
keeps  three  kinds  of  what  he  calls  roux 
on  hand,  ready  for  making  meat  and 
fish  sauces.  These  are  made  by  cooking 
together  eight  ounces  of  butter  and 
nine  ounces  of  flour.  That  intended  for 
use  with  brown  meats  is  stirred  together 
till  it  becomes  a  medium  brown  in  shade; 
white  roux  is  cooked  only  sufficiently 
to  banish  the  raw  taste  and  not  allowed 
to  color,  while  pale  roux  is  kept  over  the 
fire  just  long  enough  to  attain  a  deep 
cream  color.  These  are  mixed  with 
milk,  soup  stock,  water  or  gravy  as 
the  case  may  be  when  a  sauce  for  fish, 
meat  or  vegetables  is  needed. 

For  instance,  to  make  Sauce  a  la 
Creme,  for  use  with  white  entries,  take 
two  tablespoonfuls  of  the  white  roux 
in  a  saucepan  with  a  cup  of  milk  and  a 
tablespoonful  each  of  finely  chopped 
parsley,  shallots  and  chives.  Boil  fif- 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS      27 

teen  minutes,  pass  through  a  colander 
into  another  saucepan,  add  a  small 
lump  of  butter,  more  finely  chopped 
parsley  and  salt  and  pepper.  Mix  well 
with  a  wooden  spoon  and  it  is  ready  for 
the  table. 

To  make  a  favorite  Sauce  Piquante, 
cut  two  onions  into  slices,  also  a  carrot 
and  two  shallots  and  put  into  a  sauce- 
pan with  a  scant  tablespoonful  of  but- 
ter. While  heating  over  a  moderate 
fire,  add  a  sprig  of  thyme,  a  tablespoon- 
ful of  minced  parsley,  a  bayleaf  and  two 
or  three  cloves.  When  the  onions  are 
golden  brown  add  a  tablespoonful  of 
flour,  a  little  plain  stock  and  a  table- 
spoonful  of  vinegar.  Boil  again,  pass 
through  a  sieve  and  season  with  salt 
and  pepper. 

A  simple  sauce  is  that  Maitre  <T  Hotel, 
which  is  rarely  made  at  home  though  so 
generally  liked.  Put  a  lump  of  butter 
into  a  small  saucepan  over  a  moderate 
fire  and  add  to  it  chopped  parsely  and 
chives,  or  parsley  alone.  Season  with 
salt  and  pepper  and  a  little  lemon  juice 


28      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

and  while  it  is  sizzling  pour  over  the 
hot  steak  or  fish. 

Sauce  d'Anchois,  than  which  there 
isn't  anything  better  with  baked  fish, 
is  also  easy  to  make.  Take  three  or 
four  anchovies  and  mash  them  up  well 
with  two  tablespoonfuls  of  butter.  Now 
make  about  a  pint  of  brown  sauce  with 
brown  roux  and  milk,  and  stir  the 
anchovy  butter  into  it.  Just  before 
taking  from  the  fire  add  the  juice  of 
half  a  lemon  or  more,  according  to  taste. 

Sauce  Bearnaise  was  a  favorite  of 
Henry  of  Navarre,  and  it  is  excellent 
with  steaks,  chops  and,  particularly, 
roast  beef.  To  make  it  beat  the  yolks 
of  three  or  four  eggs  in  a  saucepan,  add 
a  tablespoonful  of  butter  and  a  little 
salt.  Stir  over  a  slow  fire  till  the  eggs 
begin  to  thicken,  then  remove  and  stir 
in  two  more  tablespoonfuls  of  butter, 
stirring  till  the  butter  is  dissolved. 
Season  with  chopped  fine  herbs  and 
parsley  and  pour  in  a  teaspoonful  of 
French  vinegar. 

In  many  parts  of  France  they  have 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS      29 

a  favorite  dressing  for  boiled  fish  called 
Sauce  Ravigote.  To  make  it  mix  half  a 
pint  of  stock  in  a  saucepan  with  a  small 
amount  of  white  wine  or  cider,  then 
chop  fine  herbs  such  as  chervil,  tarra- 
gon, chives  and  parsley,  or  whatever 
other  herbs  are  in  season,  to  the  amount 
of  about  three  tablespoonfuls,  and  mix 
with  the  stock,  adding  salt  and  pepper. 
Stew  gently  for  about  twenty  minutes, 
then  blend  a  tablespoonful  each  of 
flour  and  butter,  stir  into  the  sauce  and 
continue  to  stir  till  thick.  Just  before 
serving  squeeze  in  the  juice  of  half  a 
lemon. 

The  word  "Ravigote"  means,  literally, 
"pick  me  up,"  and  it  is  applied  to 
minced  tarragon,  chervil,  chives  and 
parsley,  the  herbs  being  kept  separate 
and  served  with  salad  on  four  little 
saucers.  Ravigote  butter,  made  by 
kneading  butter  with  the  four  herbs 
and  adding  pepper,  salt  and  lemon 
juice,  spread  between  thin  slices  of 
bread,  makes  delicious  sandwiches. 

To   make   the   very   generally   liked 


30      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

Sauce  Blanquette,  which  is  used  to  raise 
cold  meats  to  the  dignity  of  a  fricassee, 
take  about  four  ounces  of  pale  roux, 
thin  slightly  with  boiling  water  added 
by  degrees,  then  put  in  a  bunch  of  sweet 
herbs,  cooked  button  mushrooms  and 
small  onions  and  pepper  and  salt  to 
taste.  Put  in  whatever  cold  meat  you 
have,  cook  till  it  is  well  heated  and 
serve. 

The  following  is  called  Sauce  d'Havre, 
and  through  the  use  of  it  it  will  be 
discovered  that  the  taste  of  curry  is  an 
agreeable  one  in  many  another  case 
than  in  connection  with  the  veal  and 
rice  arrangement  to  which  most  Ameri- 
can cooks  restrict  it.  Peel  and  slice 
four  onions  and  two  apples  and  place 
in  a  stewpan  with  four  ounces  of  butter, 
six  peppercorns,  a  sprig  of  thyme,  two 
bayleaves  and  a  blade  of  mace.  When 
the  onions  have  become  slightly  brown 
over  the  moderate  fire,  stir  in  a  mixture 
of  two  tablespoonfuls  of  flour  and  the 
same  amount  of  curry  powder,  shortly 
afterward  adding  six  gills  of  white  stock 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS      31 

and  half  a  pint  of  white  sauce.  Season 
with  salt  and  half  a  teaspoonful  of  moist 
sugar,  boil  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour, 
adding  more  white  stock  if  necessary, 
and  stirring  constantly.  Put  through 
a  strainer  into  another  saucepan,  boil 
up  again,  skim,  and  use  when  required. 
Fricasseed  chicken  takes  on  a  new 
glory  when  it  is  prepared  with  Sauce 
Lyons.  This  is  made  by  stirring  grad- 
ually three  well-beaten  eggs  into  half  a 
pint  of  plain  white  sauce,  then  placing 
the  mixture  in  a  jar  and  standing  in 
boiling  water  till  the  sauce  thickens. 
Just  prior  to  pouring  over  the  chicken 
add  the  strained  juice  of  half  a  lemon. 


TWENTY-FOUR  LITTLE 
FRENCH  DINNERS 


MENU 

Potage  a  la  Duchesse 
Cabillaud  a  la  Bechamel 
Pommes  de  Terre,  Genevoise 
Salade  Celeri 
Pouding  a  la  Vanille 

Potage  £  la  Duchesse. — Butter  a  baking 
sheet,  cover  with  four  ounces  of  ehou 
paste,  cook  in  the  oven  for  six  minutes, 
then  cover  the  paste  with  forcemeat 
in  small  lumps,  a  little  distance  apart. 
Cut  the  paste  into  twelve  equal  sized 
pieces,  each  piece  holding  a  lump  of  the 
forcemeat,  place  in  a  tureen,  pour  over 
a  quart  of  piping  hot  consommS  and 
serve. 

33 


34      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

Cabillaud  a  la  Bechamel. — Mix  an  ounce 
of  flour  with  an  ounce  and  a  half  of 
butter  melted  in  a  saucepan,  then 
gradually  add  a  pint  of  milk  which  has 
been  allowed  previously  to  simmer  with 
a  minced  onion  and  carrot  in  it,  also  a 
bunch  of  sweet  herbs,  two  or  three 
cloves,  a  grating  of  nutmeg  and  pepper 
and  salt.  Bring  to  a  boil,  add  two  or 
three  tablespoonfuls  of  cream,  strain 
and  put  back  into  the  saucepan.  Now 
put  in  two  or  three  pounds  of  cod, 
previously  boiled  and  flaked,  being 
thoroughly  free  from  skin  and  bones. 
Shake  all  together  very  gently  and 
when  all  is  thoroughly  hot,  turn  out 
onto  a  silver  dish  and  garnish  with 
sliced  hard-boiled  eggs. 

Pommes  de  Terre,  Genevoise. — Shred 
four  medium  sized  boiled  potatoes, 
season  with  a  little  salt  and  pepper. 
Butter  lightly  half  a  dozen  tartlet 
moulds,  cover  the  bottoms  with  grated 
Parmesan  cheese,  arrange  in  each  a 
layer  of  potatoes,  then  another  sprink- 
ling of  cheese,  and  so  on  till  the  moulds 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS      35 

are  filled.  Put  a  little  butter  on  top. 
Place  on  a  very  hot  stove  or  in  a  very 
hot  oven  for  fifteen  minutes  to  half  an 
hour.  Serve  on  a  hot  dish  in  the  moulds. 

Salade  Celeri. — Trim  two  or  three 
heads  of  celery,  cut  into  short  shreds, 
wash  thoroughly  in  cold  water  and  drain. 
Place  in  a  salad  bowl,  season  with  a 
little  salt,  a  very  little  pepper  and  one 
or  two  tablespoonfuls  each  of  oil  and 
vinegar.  Add  several  sprigs  of  pepper- 
grass  and  serve  at  once. 

Pouding  a  la  Vanille. — Place  a  vanilla 
bean  in  a  mortar  together  with  half  a 
pound  of  sugar  and  pound  well  together 
and  sift.  Separate  the  whites  from  the 
yolks  of  three  eggs,  beat  the  yolks  well, 
stir  them  in  with  a  pint  of  cream  and 
mix  in  with  the  vanilla  sugar.  Whisk 
the  whites  of  the  eggs  to  a  stiff  froth  and 
mix  lightly  in  with  the  other  ingredients. 
Butter  a  pudding  mould,  pour  in  the 
mixture  and  cover  with  a  sheet  of  oiled 
paper.  Stand  the  mould  in  a  sauce- 
pan of  boiling  water  and  steam  the 
pudding  for  half  an  hour.  In  the 


36      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

meantime  prepare  the  following  sauce: 
Pour  a  breakfast  cupful  of  canned  or 
fresh  pineapple  juice  into  a  lined  pan 
with  the  juice  of  a  lemon.  Put  this  on 
the  fire  till  it  boils,  then  pour  it  over  a 
tablespoonful  of  arrowroot,  stirring  all 
the  time,  f  Return  the  sauce  to  the 
saucepan  and  stir  till  it  thickens  over 
the  fire.  When  the  pudding  is  cooked, 
turn  it  out  onto  a  hot  dish,  strain  the 
sauce  over  it  and  serve.  Be  careful 
that  no  water  enters  the  mould  con- 
taining the  pudding  while  it  is  cooking, 
or  it  will  be  spoiled, 


II 

MENU 

Consomme  a  la  Napolitaine 
Cabillaud  a  la  Financiere 
Pommes  de  Terre  en  Rubans 
Beignets  a  la  Printemps 
Choufleur  au  Gratin 
Bavaroise  au  Cafe 

Consomme  a  la  Napolitaine. — Place  in 
a  saucepan  with  a  lump  of  butter  equal 
quantities  of  finely  minced  carrots, 
turnips,  a  head  of  lettuce  and  one  of 
endive  with  a  little  chervil.  Add  a 
quart  of  the  water  in  which  the  cauli- 
flower in  this  dinner  was  cooked,  pep- 
per and  salt,  and  simmer  for  an  hour. 
Just  before  serving  stir  in  the  beaten 
yolk  of  an  egg  and  half  a  pint  of  milk. 

Cabillaud  a  la  Financiere. — Cook  a  piece 
of  cod  weighing  three  pounds  in  salted 
water  for  twenty  minutes,  drain  a  place 

37 


88      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

on  a  serving  platter  covered  with  the 
following  sauce:  Put  two  glasses  of 
Madeira  wine  and  a  small  piece  of  meat 
glaze  in  a  saucepan  with  a  pint  of 
Spanish  sauce  and  a  gill  each  of  essence 
of  mushrooms  and  truffles.  Boil  till  it 
coats  the  spoon. 

Pommes  de  Terre  en  Rubans. — Take 
large,  smooth,  pared  potatoes  and  cut 
round  and  round  in  spirals  about  an 
eighth  of  an  inch  thick.  Keep  covered 
with  a  damp  napkin  till  all  are  cut,  place 
in  a  frying  basket  and  fry  in  very  hot 
fat  till  a  light  straw  color.  Sprinkle 
freely  with  salt  and  serve  immediately. 

Beignets  a  la  Printemps. — Make  a  sauce 
of  two  ounces  of  butter,  four  ounces 
of  flour,  a  tablespoonful  of  brandy, 
a  pinch  of  salt,  sufficient  water  to  make 
a  creamy  paste.  Cook  and,  removing 
from  the  stove,  work  in  the  whites  of 
two  eggs  beaten  to  a  stiff  froth.  Cut 
into  pieces  any  fruit  desired,  dip  them 
in  the  batter  and  fry  in  butter  to  a 
light  golden  brown.  Drain  well,  place 
in  a  serving  dish,  sprinkle  well  with 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS      39 

powdered  sugar  and  serve.  If  the  fruit 
is  not  fully  ripe,  parboil  in  syrup  before 
using. 

Choufleur  au  Gratin. — Soak  a  cauli- 
flower in  water  with  plenty  of  salt,  then 
boil  in  plenty  of  salted  water  for  fifteen 
minutes.  Remove  and  take  away  all 
the  green  leaves,  lay  it  on  a  flat  but- 
tered dish,  previously  rubbed  with  an 
onion,  and  pour  over  it  a  sauce  made  as 
follows:  Melt  an  ounce  and  a  half  of 
butter  in  a  saucepan,  add  a  dessert- 
spoonful of  flour,  mix  and  add  a  cup  of 
milk.  Stir  till  it  thickens,  add  pepper 
and  salt  and  add  two  or  three  table- 
spoonfuls  of  grated  Parmesan  cheese. 
Mix  well  and  after  pouring  over  the 
cauliflower  sprinkle  all  over  with  bread- 
crumbs and  place  the  dish  in  the  oven 
till  nicely  browned. 

Bavaroise  au  Cafe.— Mix  the  beaten 
yolks  of  two  eggs  with  a  pint  of  milk 
and  a  cup  of  very  strong  black  coffee. 
Bring  to  a  boil  in  a  saucepan,  remove 
from  the  fire  and  allow  to  get  cold, 
stirring  occasionally.  Add  the  yolks 


40      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

of  two  more  eggs  beaten  stiff  with  two 
ounces  of  sugar.  Mix  well  and  then 
add  the  stiffly  beaten  whites  of  the  four 
eggs  along  with  half  an  ounce  of  dis- 
solved gelatin.  Pour  into  a  mould  and 
turn  out  when  set. 


ra 


MENU 

Filet  de  Sole  a  la  Provengal 
Poulet  Saute  a  1'Estragon 
Artichauts  a  la  Barigoule 
Petit  Petac 
Souffle  Georgette 

Filets  des  Soles  a  la  Provencal. — Sprinkle 
the  filets  with  pepper  and  salt  and  a 
little  allspice  and  fry  in  salad  oil  with 
a  finely  chopped  onion  and  a  little 
chopped  parsley.  Serve  with  a  slice  of 
lemon  on  each  filet. 

Poulet  Saute  a  FEstragon. — Sprinkle  the 
pieces  of  a  cut  up  raw  chicken  with 
pepper  and  salt  and  cook  in  a  sauce- 
pan with  a  little  oil.  Make  a  gravy  of 
a  cupful  of  clear  stock  in  which  tarragon 
stalks  have  been  boiled  for  an  hour, 
dish  up  the  fowl  on  a  hot  platter,  pour 
over  the  sauce,  straining  it,  and  sprinkle 
on  top  tarragon  leaves  blanched  and 
coarsely  chopped. 

41 


42      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

Artichauts  a  la  Barigoule. — Cut  off 
the  tops  and  leaves  of  the  artichokes 
and  boil  the  bottoms  in  plenty  of 
slightly  salted  water  till  tender.  Scoop 
out  the  fibrous  interior.  Grate  some 
cooked  bacon  into  a  saucepan  with  a 
gill  of  fine  herbs  and  a  cupful  of  broth. 
Cook  for  five  minutes.  Put  a  little  of 
this  mixture  in  each  artichoke,  cover  the 
opening  with  a  slice  of  lemon  and  bake 
in  a  saute-pan  in  the  oven  for  twenty 
minutes. 

Petit  Petac. — Peel  tiny  new  potatoes 
and  saute  in  oil  till  a  golden  brown. 
Sprinkle  with  chopped  parsley  and  serve. 

Souffle  Georgette. — Grate  a  half-dozen 
stale  macaroons  into  a  half-cup  of 
brandy,  add  a  pint  of  cream  and  two 
teaspoonfuls  of  dissolved  gelatine. 
Whip  in  a  dozen  maraschino  cherries 
and  turn  into  a  mould  to  harden.  Serve 
with  macaroons  dipped  into  the  liquid 
that  comes  around  the  maraschino 
cherries.  A  custard  may  be  used  in  this 
recipe  instead  of  the  cream. 


IV 

MENU 

Potage  au  Riz 
Rougets  en  Papillotes 
Veau  a  la  Suzette 
Demi  tasse 

Potage  au  Riz. — Put  half  a  pound  of 
well-washed  rice  into  a  saucepan  with 
two  quarts  of  vegetable  stock  and  boil 
till  tender.  When  the  rice  is  cooked 
move  the  saucepan  to  the  side  of  the 
fire  and  mix  in  a  cupful  of  stewed  to- 
matoes and  an  ounce  and  a  half  of 
butter.  Serve  with  sippets  of  toast  or 
croutons  that  have  been  fried  in  butter. 

Rougets  en  Papillotes. — This  recipe  is 
for  mullets,  but  any  small,  plump  fish 
may  be  used.  Make  a  paper  case  for 
each  fish  with  a  sheet  of  well-oiled  note- 
paper  and  put  the  cases  into  the  oven 
for  a  few  minutes  to  harden.  Sprinkle 

43 


44      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

the  under  sides  of  the  fish  with  pepper 
and  salt  and  lay  them  in  their  cases 
with  a  small  piece  of  butter  under  and 
over  each.  Place  the  cases  in  a  baking- 
dish  and  cook  for  about  twenty  minutes 
in  the  oven,  or  more  if  the  fish  are  other- 
wise than  small.  Sprinkle  well  with 
lemon  juice  just  before  serving. 

Veau  a  la  Suzette. — Trim  saddle  of 
veal  neatly  and  put  it  into  a  saucepan 
with  a  good  sized  piece  of  butter.  Turn 
it  constantly  on  the  fire  till  it  is  a  rich 
golden  color  all  over,  then  put  it  onto  a 
dish  and  sprinkle  with  salt  and  pepper. 
Add  more  butter  to  the  gravy  in  the 
saucepan  and  put  in  raw  potatoes  cut 
up  in  sections  like  oranges.  Cover  the 
saucepan  and  cook,  shaking  frequently, 
till  the  potatoes  have  a  good  color. 
Add  an  onion,  finely  minced,  and  when 
it  is  browned,  a  clove  of  garlic,  minced 
very  fine;  next  put  in  a  tablespoonful 
of  flour  followed,  when  the  flour  is 
brown,  by  about  two  cupfuls  of  stock. 
Stir  well  and  put  back  the  meat  and 
any  juice  that  may  have  oozed  from  it. 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS      45 

Lastly  add  a  bouquet  of  herbs,  simmer 
for  an  hour  at  least  and  serve  the  meat 
surrounded  by  the  potatoes  with  the 
sauce  poured  over  the  whole. 


MENU 

Potage  a  PAmericaine 

Filet  d'Eglefin 

Gigot  de  Mouton  aux  Epinards 

Chou  de  Mer  au  Fromage 

Petites  Crcmes  au  Chocolat 

Potage  a  1'Americaine. — Parboil  a  me- 
dium sized  cauliflower  in  salted  water, 
change  the  water  and  boil  till  done. 
Drain  well  and  press  through  a  sieve. 
Dilute  with  consomme*  or  broth.  Boil 
a  few  minutes  more,  stirring  well.  Beat 
up  in  a  basin  the  yolk  of  an  egg  with 
three  tablespoonfuls  of  cream,  add  this 
to  a  few  tablespoonfuls  of  the  cauli- 
flower mixture,  then,  taking  the  sauce- 
pan containing  the  soup  from  the  fire, 
add  the  egg  and  cream  mixture  and  stir 
together.  Add  half  an  ounce  of  butter 
and  serve  with  croutons. 

46 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS      47 

Filet  d'Eglefin. — Cut  a  haddock  into 
fillets,  trimming  into  pieces  about  six 
inches  long.  Dip  them  in  well  beaten 
egg  and  then  into  sifted  breadcrumbs 
and  plunge  into  deep,  well-boiling  fat, 
frying  to  a  rich  color,  turning  occasion- 
ally to  cook  both  sides  evenly.  Re- 
move, drain,  put  on  a  cloth  spread  over 
a  hot  dish  and  serve  with  a  simple 
white  sauce. 

Gigot  de  Mouton  aux  Epinards. — Roast 
a  small  leg  of  mutton,  putting  some  salt 
and  a  small  quantity  of  water  at  the 
bottom  of  the  tin.  When  half  cooked, 
remove  the  meat  and  carefully  skim 
the  gravy  of  all  fat.  Return  the  mutton 
to  the  tin,  pour  gravy  over  it  and  sur- 
round it  with  potatoes  cut  to  the  size 
of  walnuts.  Put  back  in  the  oven,  let- 
ting the  potatoes  cook  in  the  juice  of 
the  meat.  Meanwhile  cook  about  three 
pounds  of  spinach,  drain,  squeeze  out 
all  water  and  pass  through  a  sieve. 
Return  to  a  saucepan  in  which  about 
two  ounces  of  butter  has  been  heated 
and  season  with  pepper  and  salt.  Add 


4ff     TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

a  tablespoonful  of  gravy  from  the  mut- 
ton and  allow  the  spinach  to  simmer  till 
the  meat  is  done.  Then  pile  the  spinach 
with  the  potatoes  about  the  meat  and 
serve,  having  the  gravy  in  a  sauceboat. 

Chou  de  Mer  au  Fromage. — Carefully 
wash  sea-kale  to  remove  grit,  remove 
any  black  parts  from  the  roots  and  tie 
up  the  shoots  in  small  bundles.  Cook 
in  boiling  salted  water  for  twenty  min- 
utes, drain  and  keep  hot.  Mix  on  the 
fire  an  ounce  of  butter  and  a  table- 
spoonful  of  flour,  moisten  with  half  a 
cup  of  water  in  which  the  kale  was 
cooked,  bring  to  a  boil  and  mix  in  two 
or  three  tablespoonsfuls  of  grated  Par- 
mesan cheese.  Take  from  the  fire  and 
add  the  beaten  yolk  of  an  egg.  Arrange 
the  kale  on  a  hot  dish,  pour  the  sauce 
over  and  serve  immediately. 

Petites  Cremes  au  Chocolat. — Mix  two 
tablespoonfuls  of  chocolate  or  cocoa 
in  a  cup  of  boiling  milk  and  sweeten  to 
taste.  When  nearly  cold  add  to  this  the 
yolks  of  two  eggs,  well  beaten,  and  a  gill 
of  heavy  cream.  Mix  thoroughly  and 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS      49 

strain  into  china  cases.  Place  these  in 
a  large  shallow  stewpan  containing  just 
sufficient  water  to  reach  half  way  up  on 
the  cases.  Let  steam  for  twenty  min- 
utes, when  the  custard  ought  to  be  firm. 
The  water  should  be  boiling  when  the 
cases  are  first  put  in,  but  afterwards 
may  simmer.  Put  the  cases  on  ice,  and 
serve  as  cold  as  possible  with  little 
sponge  cakfcs  or  lady  fingers, 


VI 

MENU 

Potage  pure*e  de  Pois  Sees 
Saumon  a  la  Hollandaise 
Pommes  de  Terre,  Barigoule 
Haricots  verts  au  riz  tomate 

Potage  Puree  de  Pois  Sees. — Boil  a  pint 
of  green  peas  in  three  pints  of  water 
with  a  piece  of  fat  ham  or  bacon,  two 
carrots,  an  onion,  a  leek,  a  bayleaf, 
some  parsley,  pepper  and  salt.  Allow 
to  simmer  two  or  three  hours,  stirring 
occasionally.  Pass  the  peas  and  onions 
through  a  hair  sieve  and  add  the  strained 
liquor.  Return  to  the  saucepan,  boil 
up,  add  some  whole  cooked  peas  with  a 
little  mint  and  serve. 

Saumon  a  la  Hollandaise. — Cut  a  piece 
of  salmon  from  the  middle  of  the  fish, 
cover  in  the  kettle  with  cold  water  and, 
plenty  of  salt.  Bring  slowly  to  a  boil, 

50 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS      51 

removing  scum,  and  allow  to  simmer  till 
the  fish  is  done.  Drain  thoroughly  and 
serve  with  the  following  sauce  in  a  boat: 
Take  three  ounces  of  butter,  the  yolks 
of  two  eggs  and  put  them  in  a  double 
boiler  over  the  fire,  stirring  briskly  till 
the  butter  is  dissolved.  Mix  in  a  scant 
ounce  of  flour,  stir  well  and  add  the 
juice  of  a  lemon,  half  a  pint  of  milk, 
a  little  grated  nutmeg  and  pepper  and 
salt.  Stir  constantly  till  the  sauce 
thickens  to  the  consistency  of  a  custard. 

Pommes  de  Terre,  Barigoule. — Place 
ten  potatoes  in  a  saucepan  with  enough 
broth  to  cover  them  and  boil  slowly 
till  done.  Drain,  taking  care  not  to 
break  them.  Put  a  teacupful  of  olive 
oil  into  a  deep  frying  pan,  heat,  put  in 
the  potatoes,  tossing  them  till  they  are 
browned  all  over  lightly.  Place  on  a 
dish  and  sprinkle  with  salt,  pepper  and 
vinegar.  Serve  piping  hot. 

Haricots  verts  au  riz  tomate. — Boil  rice 
carefully  so  that  every  grain  will  be 
separate,  toss  it  in  a  little  butter  and 
moisten  with  tomato  sauce  and  add 


52      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

the  yolk  of  an  egg,  well  beaten  and 
stirred  in,  and  a  little  Parmesan  cheese. 
Make  a  border  of  the  rice  on  a  dish  and 
pile  in  the  center  some  French  beans 
plainly  boiled  and  tossed  in  a  little 
butter  with  some  pepper  and  salt. 


VII 

MENU 

Potage  Veloute 
Brochet  a  la  Tartare 
Biftecks  sautes  aux  Olives 
Pommes  de  Terre  a  la  Lyonnaise 
fipinards  au  Gratin 
Beignets  Souffle's 

Potage  Veloute.-— Boil  a  cup  and  a 
half  of  tapioca  in  two  quarts  of  water 
and  season  with  salt  and  pepper.  At 
the  bottom  of  a  tureen  place  a  lump  of 
butter,  and  the  yolks  of  two  eggs,  pour 
the  tapioca  over  while  it  is  still  boiling, 
add  a  pint  of  hot  milk  and  serve. 

Brochet  a  la  Tartare. — Cut  a  fresh 
pike  into  slices  and  marinade  each 
slice  separately  with  a  sauce  made  of 
sufficient  olive  oil,  black  pepper,  a 
minced  onion,  finely  cut  mushrooms  and 
chopped  parsley.  Cover  the  fish  with 

53 


54      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

breadcrumbs  and  broil,  brushing  occa- 
sionally with  the  marinade.  When  it 
is  a  golden  color  remove  from  the  fire, 
place  on  a  hot  platter  and  serve  sprinkled 
with  parsley  with  a  tartar  sauce  in  a 
sauceboat. 

Biftecks  sautes  aux  Olives.— Cut  the 
steak  into  six  pieces  and  toss  in  a  fry- 
ing pan  with  lard.  When  well  done 
sprinkle  with  seasoning  and  remove 
from  the  fire.  Then  take  half  a  glass  of 
white  wine,  a  tablespoonful  of  con- 
somme*, two  or  three  dozen  green  olives, 
with  the  pits  removed,  and  boil  to- 
gether for  a  few  minutes.  Set  the  steak 
in  a  crown  on  the  platter  and  in  the 
center  place  the  dressing.  Pour  the 
gravy  from  the  frying  pan  over  all  and 
serve. 

Pommes  de  Terre  a  la  Lyonnaise. — 
Take  a  dozen  potatoes  of  the  same  size, 
cut  into  pieces  the  size  of  a  quarter  of  a 
dollar,  roll  in  flour  and  put  into  a  frying 
pan  with  boiling  fat,  taking  them  out 
when  they  are  a  golden  brown.  Also 
fry  some  thin  slices  of  onion,  mix  with 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS      55 

the  potatoes,  sprinkle  with  salt  and 
serve  garnished  with  parsley. 

Epinards  au  Gratin. — Boil  two  pounds 
of  spinach  and  chop  very  fine.  Beat  up 
two  eggs  to  each  pound  of  spinach, 
mix  with  it  and  sprinkle  the  whole  with 
breadcrumbs.  Pour  over  some  olive 
oil  or  melted  butter  and  heat  thor- 
oughly in  the  oven  in  a  vegetable  dish. 

Beignets  Souffles. — Put  a  pound  of 
flour,  a  pinch  of  salt,  a  liquor  glass  of 
rum,  the  yolks  of  three  eggs  and  a 
quantity  of  lukewarm  water  into  a 
mixing  dish  and  beat  these  together 
till  it  shrinks  from  the  dish.  Then  mix 
in  the  well-beaten  whites  of  the  eggs  and 
then  allow  to  rise  for  an  hour  or  so. 
Have  a  baking  dish  very  hot  and  put  in 
the  paste  in  pieces  the  size  of  a  nut,  which 
will  triple  in  size  while  cooking.  Let 
them  cook  to  a  golden  color,  remove 
from  the  fire  and  sprinkle  with  pow- 
dered sugar.  Serve  hot. 


VIII 

MENU 

Consomm6  Royale 
Filet  de  Sole  a  la  Ve*ne*tienne 
Salade  Barbe  de  Capucin 
Beignets  de  Peches 

Consomme  Royale. — Beat  two  eggs 
and  mix  them  with  half  a  cup  of  milk 
and  a  pinch  of  salt.  Pour  into  a  basin, 
stand  this  in  a  larger  one  containing  hot 
water,  place  in  the  oven  and  bake  till 
the  contents  of  the  small  basin  are  firm, 
renewing  water  in  the  larger  dish  if 
necessary.  Allow  to  cool  and  when  set 
cut  into  small  well-shaped  pieces,  pour 
over  them  a  quart  of  hot  consomm6 
and  serve  immediately. 

Filet  de  Sole  a  la  Venetienne. — Place 
in  a  buttered  tin  two  small  or  one  large 
onion  cut  in  thin  slices,  a  little  chopped 
parsley,  a  bayleaf,  one  or  two  whole 
cloves  and  salt  and  pepper.  Lay  the 

56 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS      57 

fillets  of  two  soles  on  these  with  a 
generous  piece  of  butter,  pour  over  half 
a  pint  of  white  stock  and  a  small  glass 
of  white  wine.  Cover  the  tin  with  oiled 
paper,  and  bake  in  the  oven  for  about 
twelve  minutes.  When  the  fish  is 
cooked  take  out  all  the  liquor  except 
just  enough  to  keep  the  fish  moist  as  it 
remains  in  the  oven  turned  very  low, 
strain  it  and  add  three-quarters  of  an 
ounce  of  flour  and  the  same  amount  of 
butter.  Bring  the  sauce  to  a  boil,  take 
it  from  the  fire,  add  the  yolk  of  an  egg 
and  a  good  amount  of  blanched  parsley 
and  chervil,  chopped  very  fine.  Ar- 
range the  fillets  of  sole  on  a  hot  dish, 
pour  the  sauce  over  and  serve. 

Salade  Barbe  de  Capucin. — Carefully 
pick  over  and  break  into  convenient 
pieces  the  required  amount  of  chicory 
and  place  in  a  salad  bowl  well  rubbed 
with  an  onion.  Just  before  serving  pour 
over  a  French  dressing,  remembering 
to  be  in  making  it  "a  spendthrift  for 
oil,  a  miser  for  vinegar,  a  counselor 
for  salt  and  a  madman  to  stir  it  all  up." 


58      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

Beignets  des  Peches. — Peel,  stone  and 
cut  in  halves  some  firm  peaches.  Toss 
about  in  a  bowl  with  sugar,  being  care- 
ful not  to  break.  Put  a  pound  of  flour 
in  a  basin  and  stir  in  gradually  half  a 
pint  of  water.  Mix  the  whites  of  two 
stiffly  beaten  eggs  with  this  batter  and 
then  add  one  and  a  quarter  ounces  of 
melted  butter.  Bring  olive  oil  to  a  good 
heat  in  a  frying  pan,  dip  each  piece  of 
peach  in  the  batter  and  fry  in  the  fat. 
When  lightly  browned  drain  on  a  cloth 
or  paper,  lay  on  a  baking  dish,  sift 
powdered  sugar  over  and  glaze  by  plac- 
ing in  a  hot  oven  a  few  minutes.  Ar- 
range in  pyramid  shape  on  a  folded 
napkin  on  a  hot  dish  and  serve  im- 
mediately. Canned  peaches,  if  firm, 
may,  of  course,  be  substituted  for  the 
fresh  fruit. 


IX 

MENU 

Cotelettes  de  Saumon,  a  TAnglaise 
Pommes  de  Terre,  Marquise 
Petits  Pois  a  la  Paysanne 
Salade  Am^ricaine 
Choux  au  Chocolat 

Cotelettes  de  Saumon,  Anglaise. — Divide 
slices  of  salmon  into  shape  of  cutlets, 
sprinkle  with  pepper  and  salt  and  put 
into  a  saucepan  with  a  small  amount 
of  butter  and  toss  over  the  fire.  When 
cooked  take  out  and  drain,  place  on  a 
hot  dish  and  serve  with  the  following 
sauce:  Put  three  tablespoonfuls  of 
veloute*  sauce  into  a  saucepan,  reduce 
slightly  and  add  one  egg,  four  ounces  of 
butter,  a  little  salt,  cayenne,  some 
finely  minced  parsley  and  the  juice  of 
half  a  lemon.  Mix  together  well  over 

59 


60      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

the  fire  till  the  ingredients  are  blended 
and  it  is  ready. 

Pommes  de  Terre,  Marquise. — Boil  po- 
tatoes in  salted  water  and  pass  through 
a  sieve.  Season  with  salt,  pepper,  nut- 
meg, chopped  parsley  and  a  little 
chopped  thyme.  Moisten  with  some 
good  gravy  or  stock  and  form  into  small 
balls.  Dip  each  in  well  beaten  egg  and 
fry  to  a  light  brown  in  butter. 

Petits  Pois  &  la  Paysanne. — Take  fresh 
green  peas,  or  canned  ones  if  the  former 
are  not  available,  put  over  the  fire  in  a 
saucepan  with  plenty  of  butter  and  stir 
frequently.  Cut  one  or  two  rashers  of 
bacon  in  very  small  dice  and  toss  them 
in  a  saucepan  over  the  fire.  When  the 
bacon  is  well  fried,  mix  in  with  the  peas 
and  let  the  two  finish  cooking  together, 
seasoning  with  pepper,  salt  and  a  little 
sugar. 

Salade  Americaine. — Cut  in  rounds  re- 
sembling a  quarter-dollar  equal  quanti- 
ties of  new  potatoes,  carrots  and  beet 
root,  all  previously  cooked.  Then  add  a 
sour  apple,  cut  in  the  same  shape,  and  a 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS      61 

few  anchovies  cut  in  small  pieces.  Pour 
over  this  a  dressing  of  three  parts  oil  to 
one  of  vinegar,  add  pepper,  salt,  mustard 
and  chopped  parsley.  Pile  the  salad  up 
and  surround  with  cress. 

Choux  au  Chocolat. — Into  a  small 
saucepan  put  half  a  cup  of  water  with 
two  ounces  of  butter  and  one  of  sugar. 
When  boiling  add  gradually  two  and  a 
half  ounces  of  finely  sifted  flour  and  stir 
till  the  mixture  is  stiff.  Take  from  the 
fire,  stir  some  more,  then  add  two  eggs, 
one  at  a  time,  beat  the  whole  well,  and 
leave  to  cool.  Butter  a  baking  sheet, 
lay  the  paste  on  it  in  round  balls  the 
size  of  a  plum  and  bake  in  a  moderate 
oven  for  about  twenty  minutes.  Allow 
to  cool  and  then  make  an  incision  in 
the  side  of  each  and  fill  with  whipped 
cream  slightly  flavored  with  vanilla  or 
with  jam.  Just  before  serving  glaze 
each  chou  slightly  with  a  chocolate 
icing. 


MENU 

Consomm6  Duchesse 
Saumon,  Sauce  Piquante 
Bissolettes  de  Boeuf 
Salade  a  la  Heine 
Creme  Noyau 

Duchesse  Consomme. — Boil  four  table- 
spoonfuls  of  rice  (ground)  in  four  cups  of 
water  for  fifteen  minutes,  adding  half  a 
teaspoonf ul  each  of  salt  and  sugar.  When 
the  rice  is  soft  and  just  before  serving 
add  a  quart  of  warmed  milk,  bring  to  a 
boil,  adding  lastly  a  dash  of  pepper  and 
paprika. 

Saumon,  Sauce  Piquante. — Take  slices 
of  salmon  about  three-quarters  of  an 
inch  in  thickness  and  place  in  a  saucepan 
with  hot  fish  broth  mixed  with  a  small 
quantity  of  wine.  Allow  to  simmer  for 
fifteen  minutes.  When  cooked  remove 
and  wipe  free  from  broth,  place  on  a 

62 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS      63 

hot  platter  and  serve  with  a  sauce  made 
as  follows:  Melt  a  quantity  of  butter, 
flavor  to  taste  with  tarragon  vinegar, 
pepper,  mustard,  fennel  and  such  spices 
as  are  liked.  Stir  over  the  fire  till 
cooked,  move  to  the  side  of  the  stove, 
thicken  with  the  yolk  of  an  egg  and 
serve. 

Rissolettes  de  Bceuf. — With  four  cups 
of  finely  minced  beef  mix  one  cup  of 
breadcrumbs,  adding  one  boiled  onion, 
a  little  essence  of  anchovies,  salt,  pepper 
and  a  raw  egg.  Make  into  balls,  roll  in 
breadcrumbs  and  fry  slowly.  Prepare 
a  gravy  by  boiling  the  trimmings  of  the 
meat  in  the  water  in  which  the  onion  was 
boiled,  thicken  with  flour  or  cornstarch, 
add  three  teaspoonfuls  of  lemon  juice 
and  pour  over  the  rissolettes  which 
should  be  arranged  on  a  heated  platter 
around  a  heap  of  mashed  potatoes. 

Salade  a  la  Reine. — Lay  strips  of  endive 
lengthwise  on  the  salad  plates  and  cross 
them  with  peeled  tomatoes  cut  in  sec- 
tions like  an  orange.  Dress  with  a 
French  salad  dressing. 


64      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

Creme  Noyau. — Pound  in  a  mortar 
together  a  quarter  pound  of  Jordan  and 
an  ounce  of  bitter  almonds  with  a  scant 
half  cup  of  cream  and  two  ounces  of 
sugar.  Rub  through  a  sieve  into  a  bowl, 
add  a  pint  of  whipped  cream  flavored 
with  Noyau  and  then  an  ounce  of  gela- 
tine dissolved.  Pour  into  a  mould  to 
set.  Serve  with  champagne  wafers. 


XI 

MENU 

Consomme*  a  la  Madrilene 

Perches  aux  Fines  Herbes 

Filets  Mignons  aux  Pommes  de  Terre 

Aubergines  Farcies 

Omelette  au  Rhum 

Consomme  a  la  Madrilene. — Put  through 
a  medium  sieve  five  or  six  boiled  ripe 
tomatoes,  or  a  can  of  tomatoes,  allow  to 
cool  and  pack  in  a  freezer.  Add  to  a 
cold  consomme  and  serve  in  cups. 

Perches  aux  Fines  Herbes. — Prepare  six 
fresh  perch  and  marinade  them  with  two 
tablespoonfuls  of  olive  oil,  a  sprig  of 
parsley,  a  little  pepper  and  salt  and  all- 
spice, bayleaf  and  other  strong  spices 
chopped  fine.  Keep  the  fish  in  this  for 
about  an  hour,  remove  and  roll  in  bread- 
65 


66      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

crumbs  lightly  flavored  with  spices. 
Grill  over  a  low  fire  till  a  golden 
brown  in  color  and  serve  with  butter 
sauce. 

Filets  Mignons  aux  Pommes  de  Terre0 — 
Marinade  the  required  number  of  small 
filets  mignon  of  mutton  in  butter  sea- 
soned with  salt  and  chervil.  Leave  for 
an  hour  or  more  and  just  before  they 
are  to  be  served,  grill  them,  basting 
frequently  with  the  butter.  Flavor  with 
lemon  juice  and  serve  with  buttered 
fried  potatoes. 

Aubergines  Farcies. — Cut  eggplants  in 
halves  lengthwise,  remove  the  inside 
and  of  this  make  a  farcie  by  mixing  it 
with  chopped  parsley,  two  chopped 
onions  and  salt  and  pepper.  Stuff  the 
eggplant  halves  with  this  mixture  and 
put  the  combination  into  a  casserole 
containing  a  good  quantity  of  melted 
butter  and  allow  to  simmer  over  a  slow 
fire  till  all  is  thoroughly  done.  Cover 
the  tops  with  breadcrumbs,  add  a  drop 
of  oil  or  a  little  melted  butter  and  keep 
piping  hot  till  served. 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS      67 

Omelette  au  Rhum. — Prepare  an 
omelette  as  for  any  sweet  omelette  and 
just  before  serving  place  on  a  hot  plat- 
ter, pour  rum  over,  ignite  and  carry  to 
the  table  blazing. 


xn 

MENU 

Potage  Riz,  Cregy 
Canapes  de  Saumon  Fume* 
Paupiettes  de  Pore,  Sauce  Piquante 
Asperges  en  Petits  Pois 
Tarte  a  la  Turque 

Potage  Riz,  Cre?y. — Cut  several  firm, 
red  carrots  lengthwise,  using  only  the 
red  part.  Place  in  a  casserole  with  a 
good  bouillon  and  allow  to  simmer  over 
a  slow  fire.  Pass  through  a  sieve  when 
the  carrots  are  soft,  and  put  back  in  the 
bouillon.  Add  a  cupful  of  cooked  rice, 
bring  to  a  boil  and  serve. 

Canapes  de  Saumon  Fume.— Cut  a  smoked 
salmon  into  slices  and  spread  them  with 
butter,  adding  pepper  and  salt  and  a 
pinch  of  nutmeg.  Heat  over  a  crisp 
fire,  place  on  a  hot  dish,  cover  with 
croutons  and  serve. 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS      69 

Paupiettes  de  Pore,  Sauce  Piquante. — 
Take  small  slices  of  cold  roast  pork 
and  spread  them  with  sausage  meat. 
Roll  them  and  fasten  with  skewers,  then 
cover  with  a  thin  coating  of  lard  or  with 
oiled  paper  and  cook  them  over  a  low 
fire  in  a  casserole.  When  thoroughly 
done,  take  off  the  papers,  cover  with 
breadcrumbs  and  brown.  Serve  with  a 
piquant  sauce. 

Asperges  en  Petits  Pois. — Cut  up  the 
green  part  of  two  bunches  of  asparagus, 
roll  in  butter  and  add  a  little  salt.  Heat 
a  cupful  of  flour,  being  careful  not  to 
allow  it  to  color,  and  dredge  the  aspara- 
gus with  it.  Put  into  a  saucepan  with 
sufficient  milk  and  water  in  equal  parts 
to  cover,  add  a  bouquet  of  herbs  and 
allow  the  whole  to  simmer  till  the  aspara- 
gus is  cooked.  Season  with  white  pepper 
and  serve. 

Tarte  a  la  Turque. — Boil  a  cupful  of 
rice  till  thick  in  milk  to  which  has  been 
added  a  stick  of  cinnamon,  a  little 
lemon  juice  and  sugar.  When  the  rice 
is  cooked  allow  to  cool.  Make  a  border 


70      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

of  it  on  a  buttered  plate  and  fill  the 
center  with  a  marmalade  made  as  fol- 
lows: Cut  the  peeled  stalks  of  a  bunch 
of  rhubarb  into  dice  and  allow  them  to 
simmer  in  a  small  amount  of  water  till 
they  are  of  the  consistency  of  marma- 
lade. Add  three  or  four  teaspoonf uls  of 
sugar,  a  lump  of  butter  and  the  rind  of 
a  lemon.  Take  from  the  fire  and  im- 
mediately add  the  beaten  yolks  of  two 
eggs.  Arrange,  as  stated,  in  the  middle 
of  the  rice,  sprinkle  with  a  little  more 
sugar  and  set  ia  the  oven  for  fifteen 
minutes  or  more  before  serving. 


XIII 

MENU 

Potage  a  la  Chicor6e 
Allumettes  d'Anchois 
Boeuf  Bouilli  en  Vinaigrette 
Pommes  Maire 
Salade  de  Tomates 
Creme  Brulee 

Potage  a  la  Chicoree. — Pick  carefully 
and  wash  two  or  three  heads  of  chicory, 
cut  into  shreds  and  pass  through  a  little 
heated  butter  without  allowing  to  take 
color.  Then  add  sufficient  of  the  water 
in  which  the  Pommes  Maire  (below) 
were  boiled  to  make  the  required  quan- 
tity of  soup,  add  pepper  and  salt,  sim- 
mer for  an  hour.  Just  after  taking  from 
the  fire  add  the  beaten  yolk  of  an  egg. 
Pour  into  the  tureen  over  toasted  slices 
of  stale  bread. 

71 


72      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

Allumettes  d'Anchois. — Make  a  fritter 
paste  with  flour  and  oil,  omitting  salt. 
Soften  with  white  wine.  Wash  the 
desired  number  of  anchovies,  remove  the 
bones  and  draw  out  the  salt  by  soaking 
in  milk.  Dip  into  the  paste  and  fry. 

Bceuf  Bouilli  en  Vinaigrette.— Cut  cold, 
lean  beef  into  narrow,  thin  slices.  Place 
it  in  a  bowl  with  a  finely  chopped  onion 
and  some  chervil,  a  few  cut-up  gherkins, 
a  teaspoonful  of  capers,  pour  oil,  a  little 
vinegar  and  the  juice  of  half  a  lemon 
over,  add  pepper  and  salt,  toss  well 
together  and  serve  at  once. 

Pommes  Make. — Use  "kidney"  pota- 
toes if  procurable;  if  not,  ordinary  pota- 
toes of  small  size.  Boil  in  salt  water  and 
peel  while  still  hot,  then  cut  in  thick 
chips  and  place  in  a  casserole  and  cover 
with  boiling  milk.  Season  with  pepper 
and  salt  and  allow  to  boil,  turning  with  a 
fork  till  the  milk  has  boiled  away.  Re- 
move from  the  fire,  pour  over  a  cup  of 
rich  milk,  season  again  and  serve. 

Salade  de  Tomates.— Cut  a  pound  of 
not  too  ripe  tomatoes  into  one  inch 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS      73 

cubes,  add  salt,  pepper,  vinegar  and  oil 
to  taste  and  then  toss  together  with  a 
minced  onion.  Serve  right  away.  If 
desired,  cold  boiled  beef  in  dainty  slices 
may  be  added. 

Cr£me  Brulee. — Blend  a  tablespoon- 
ful  of  flour  with  the  yolks  of  three  eggs 
and  place  in  a  casserole.  Pour  slowly 
in  a  pint  or  more  of  milk,  add  a  pinch  of 
cinnamon,  a  few  drops  of  extract  of 
lemon  or  any  flavor  desired,  and  stir 
constantly  over  the  fire.  When  the 
cream  is  cooked,  make  a  caramel  sauce 
in  a  porcelain  pot  by  melting  five  or 
six  lumps  of  sugar  and  cooking  to  the 
browning  point.  Pour  this  into  a 
serving  dish,  pour  the  cream  over  it  and 
allow  to  cool. 


XIV 

MENU 

Bisque  <T  Herbes 
Turbot  a  la  Rachel 
Choufleur  an  Gratin 
Salade  Barbe  de  Capucin 
Gateau  de  Frangipane 

Bisque  d'Herbes. — Chop  together  about 
a  handful  each  of  lettuce,  sorrel,  spinach, 
also  a  small  onion,  a  little  celery  and 
some  chervil  and  cook  all  with  an  egg- 
sized  piece  of  butter  for  fifteen  minutes, 
stirring  constantly.  Then  add  three 
tablespoonfuls  of  flour  made  smooth 
with  a  little  stock,  stir  in  four  cupfuls  of 
the  cauliflower  water  (which  you  will 
have  from  a  recipe  following)  into  which 
has  been  beaten  the  yolk  of  an  egg. 
Serve  very  hot  with  croutons. 

Turbot  a  la  Rachel.— Boil  the  fish 
in  salted  water.  Whitefish  or  haddock 

74 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS      75 

will  serve  as  well  as  turbot.  Make  the 
following  sauce:  Smooth  and  brown 
together  two  tablespoonfuls  of  flour  and 
two  ounces  of  butter  and  stir  in  five 
gills  of  water  in  which  the  fish  was 
boiled,  adding  a  teaspoonful  each  of 
anchovy  essence  and  mushroom  catsup. 
Remove  from  the  fire  and  beat  in  the 
yolks  of  two  eggs  and  the  juice  of  one 
lemon.  Color  with  liquid  carmine  or  a 
few  drops  of  cochineal  and  pour  over 
the  fish. 

Choufleur  au  Gratin. — Dip  the  cauli- 
flower into  ice  water,  then  plunge  it  into 
boiling  salted  water  to  cook  fifteen 
minutes.  Cut  a  slice  off  the  stalk, 
remove  the  leaves,  lay  on  a  flat  dish  and 
cover  with  a  cream  sauce.  Sprinkle 
with  grated  breadcrumbs  and  grated 
Parmesan  cheese,  brown  in  the  oven 
and  serve. 

Salade  Barbe  de  Capucin. — Lay  the 
stalks  of  American  endive  in  a  dish  and 
cut  into  small  pieces  a  medium  shallot. 
Mix,  add  a  French  dressing  and  sprinkle 
with  finely  chopped  tarragon  leaves. 


76      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

Gateau  de  Frangipane. — Whisk  together 
a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  powdered  sugar 
and  the  whites  of  three  eggs,  then  beat  in 
three  tablespoonfuls  of  milk,  the  grated 
peel  of  a  lemon  and  a  dash  of  salt.  Then 
stir  in  half  a  pound  of  flour.  Bake  in 
patty  tins  and  when  done  scoop  a  piece 
out  of  the  top  of  each  patty  and  fill  with 
jam.  Then  pour  over  a  sauce  made  as 
follows:  Put  two  wineglassfuls  of  white 
wine  into  a  small  saucepan  and  stir  in  a 
cupful  of  orange  marmalade  with  the 
juice  of  a  lemon.  Thicken  with  a  little 
corn-starch. 


XV 

MENU 

Potage  Bisque 
Canard  a  la  Pertinset 
.   Pommes  de  Terre  a  la  Creme 
Choufleur  au  Beurre  Noir 
Salade  de  Lentilles 
Peches  au  Vin 

Potage  Bisque. — Boil  as  many  crabs 
as  are  needed  in  water,  adding  salt, 
pepper,  two  good  sized  onions  and  equal 
quantities  of  carrots  and  chives.  Re- 
move the  crabs  and  take  the  meat  from 
the  claws.  Mash  the  vegetables  until 
they  form  a  puree  and  add  a  good  sized 
lump  of  butter.  Place  over  the  fire  with 
water  or  bouillon  and  allow  to  come  to  a 
boil.  Serve  very  hot  with  croutons  and 
the  meat  from  the  crab  claws. 

Canard  a  la  Pertinset. — Place  a  carefully 
prepared  duck  in  a  casserole  and  dredge 

77 


78      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

it  with  a  lump  of  melted  butter,  add  two 
onions,  one  clove,  a  dash  of  garlic.  Put 
in  the  oven  but  do  not  allow  the  onions 
to  become  too  brown  before  removing 
the  duck.  Then  add  five  or  six  toma- 
toes, one  glass  of  white  wine,  a  glass  of 
bouillon,  a  few  cloves  and  a  bayleaf. 
Let  this  boil  over  a  low  fire,  then  mash 
the  tomatoes  and  onions,  put  back  the 
duck  into  the  casserole  and  boil  for  forty 
minutes. 

Pommes  de  Terre  a  la  Creme. — Put  into 
a  casserole  a  lump  of  butter,  a  pinch  of 
flour,  salt  and  pepper,  nutmeg  and  a 
young  onion.  Mix  well  and  add  a  cup 
of  rich  milk.  Place  on  the  fire,  stir  con- 
stantly, and  remove  as  soon  as  the 
mixture  comes  to  a  boil.  Meanwhile 
boil  as  many  potatoes  as  are  required 
in  salted  water.  Peel  and  cut  into  slices, 
add  to  the  sauce  and  serve. 

Choufleur  au  Beurre  Noir. — Boil  a  cauli- 
flower and  drain.  Add  a  pinch  of  salt, 
nutmeg  and  a  dash  of  vinegar  to  a  pint  of 
the  water  in  which  the  cauliflower  was 
cooked.  Melt  two  tablespoonfuls  of 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS      79 

butter  and  when  it  is  a  light  brown  add 
it  to  the  mixture.  Pour  over  the  cauli- 
flower on  a  hot  platter. 

Salade  de  Lentilles. — Having  boiled  two 
cupfuls  of  lentils  till  they  are  tender, 
season  them  either  hot  or  cold  with  a 
little  garlic  cut  up  fine,  or  with  chives 
and  serve  in  lettuce  leaves  with  a  French 
dressing. 

Peches  au  Vin. — Put  peaches  into  a 
stewpan  and  cover  them  with  water.  In 
ten  minutes  remove  the  skins.  Then 
place  them  in  a  shallow  dish  and  cover 
them  either  with  Madeira  or  Moselle 
wine  and  allow  them  to  stand  for  at 
least  two  hours.  Then  drain  them, 
place  them  in  the  dish  in  which  they  are 
to  be  served  and  cover  them  with  vanilla 
sugar.  Set  the  wine  in  which  they  have 
been  soaked  on  the  fire,  add  sugar  to 
taste,  and  pour  the  sauce  boiling  over  the 
peaches. 


XVI 

MENU 

Sardines  Grilles 
Chapon  a  1'Indienne 
Pommes  de  Terre  en  Matelote 
Salade  Beaucaire 
Creme  FouettSe 

Sardines  Grillees. — Grill  half  a  dozen 
sardines,  or  as  many  as  desired,  for  a  few 
minutes.  Melt  butter  in  a  frying-pan, 
stir  in  a  little  flour  and  moisten  with  hot 
water,  then  add  a  few  drops  of  vinegar 
a  dash  of  mustard,  salt  and  pepper. 
Pour  this  very  hot  over  the  sardines. 

Chapon  a  Tlndienne. — Prepare  and  truss 
a  capon  as  for  roasting,  rub  all  over  with 
butter  and  place  in  a  casserole  with  a 
good  sized  slice  of  salt  pork.  Cook  over 
a  slow  fire  for  three  hours.  In  the  mean- 
time cook  a  cupful  of  rice,  season  it  with 

80 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS      81 

a  little  curry  powder  and  pimento,  and 
place  around  the  capon  on  the  platter 
on  which  it  is  served. 

Pommes  de  Terre  en  Matelote. — Slice 
freshly  boiled  potatoes  and  cook  en 
casserole  with  seasoning  of  pepper  and 
salt,  two  or  three  sliced  onions,  a  sprig 
of  chopped  parsley,  a  lump  of  butter 
and  a  small  amount  of  flour  and  water. 
Cook  till  all  the  ingredients  are  well 
blended  and  when  heaped  on  a  platter 
and  ready  for  the  table,  pour  over  a 
glass  or  two  of  wine. 

Salade  Beaucaire.— Chop  coarsely  celery 
and  endive  together,  season  with  oil, 
vinegar  and  mustard  an  hour  before 
using.  Just  before  taking  to  the  table, 
add  chopped  boiled  ham,  a  sour  apple, 
diced,  moistened  with  a  little  tarragon 
and  mayonnaise.  Surround  the  salad 
with  a  border  of  small  potatoes,  boiled 
and  sliced,  alternated  with  slices  of  beet. 

Creme  Fouettee. — Whip  cream  till  it  is 
very  thick  or  make  about  a  quart  of 
custard.  Mash  thoroughly  a  pound  of 
cherries  or  raspberries,  or  both  with 


82      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

powdered  sugar.  Mix  with  the  cream 
or  custard,  beat  again  and  serve  im- 
mediately. In  summer  this  may  be 
iced  with  good  results. 


XVII 

MENU 

Potage  Maa£doine 
Homards  et  Champignons 
C6telettes  de  Mouton  a  la  Brunoise 
Petits  Pois  a  la  Franchise 
Choux  a  la  Crcme 

Potage  Macedoine,— Place  thin  pieces 
of  ham  in  the  bottom  of  a  saucepan  and 
then  put  in  three  each  of  turnips,  pota- 
toes and  onions,  all  cut  up  small.  Pour 
in  some  stock,  season  with  pepper  and 
salt  and  simmer  till  the  ham  and  vege- 
tables are  cooked.  Add  a  quart  of  milk 
and  bring  almost  to  a  boil,  strain  and 
serve  immediately. 

Homards  et  Champignons. — Cut  an 
equal  quantity  of  lobster  meat  and 
mushrooms  into  dice.  Boil  some  velout4 
sauce  together  with  some  essence  of 
mushrooms  till  somewhat  reduced,  then 
thicken  and  mix  with  the  lobster  and 

83 


84      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

mushrooms.  Fill  ramekin  cases  with  the 
preparation,  sprinkle  with  breadcrumbs, 
pour  over  a  little  melted  butter  and  bake 
in  the  oven  till  browned.  Serve  piping 
hot. 

Cotelettes  de  Mouton  a  la  Brunoise. — 
Trim  mutton  cutlets  neatly,  cutting 
away  all  fat,  and  place  side  by  side  in  a 
large  stewpan.  Cover  with  well-flavored 
stock  and  leave  to  simmer,  well  covered, 
for  an  hour  and  a  half.  Take  equal 
quantities  of  turnips,  onions  and  celery 
and  double  the  amount  of  carrots,  cut 
all  into  quarter-inch  cubes  and  fry  in 
butter  till  they  begin  to  color,  putting 
in  first  the  carrots,  then  the  celery,  then 
the  onions  and  last  the  turnips.  When 
all  are  done,  drain  and  allow  them  to 
simmer  gently  in  a  little  common  stock. 
A  little  while  before  the  cutlets  are  done 
drain  off  all  the  surplus  stock  from  the 
vegetables,  or  boil  it  down  quickly  over 
a  hot  fire.  Dress  the  cutlets  on  the  rim 
of  a  platter,  heap  the  vegetables  in  the 
center  and  pour  the  gravy  all  over  them. 
Accompany  with  mashed  potatoes. 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS      85 

Petits  Pois  a  la  Franf  aise. — Cook  a  pint 
of  shelled  peas  till  tender,  drain  and  place 
on  the  back  of  the  fire  with  not  quite  a 
gill  of  the  water  in  which  they  have  been 
boiled,  a  little  flour  and  an  ounce  of 
butter.  Simmer  for  five  minutes,  adding 
pepper  and  salt  to  taste  and  just  before 
taking  from  the  fire  add  the  yolk  of  an 
egg  mixed  with  a  tablespoonful  and  a 
half  of  cream.  Serve  very  hot  in  china 
or  paper  cases. 

Choux  a  la  Creme. — Put  a  small  piece 
of  butter  in  a  saucepan  with  half  a  pint 
of  water,  a  teaspoonful  of  sugar,  a  piece 
of  lemon  peel  and  a  little  salt.  Boil  well 
together,  stir  in  two  tablespoonfuls  of 
flour  and  stir  till  thick  and  cooked. 
Allow  this  paste  to  cool  and  then  work 
into  it  two  eggs  and  sufficient  milk  to 
make  it  thin  enough  to  drop  from  a 
spoon.  Heat  lard  in  a  deep  frying  pan, 
not  quite  to  the  point  of  boiling,  and 
with  a  spoon  drop  the  paste  into  it  in 
lumps  about  the  size  of  a  hen's  egg. 
When  slightly  brown  and  well  swollen, 
remove  the  cakes,  drain  them  well, 


86    TWENTY-FOUR:  FRENCH  DINNERS 

scoop  out  a  little  of  the  top  of  each 
to  form  a  hollow  and  allow  them  to  cool. 
Whip  cream  to  a  stiff  froth  and  put  a 
small  amount  into  the  hollow  of  each 
chou,  arrange  on  a  fancy  dish  and  serve. 
The  chou  may  be  filled  with  jelly  or  pre- 
serves if  preferred. 


XVIII 

MENU 

Potage  a  la  Printaniere 

Paupiettes  de  Veau 

Pommes  de  Terre,  Maitre  d'H6tel 

Salade  de  Laitue 

Feuillantines 

Potage  a  la  Printaniere. — Cut  two  car- 
rots and  one  turnip  into  shapes  with  a 
vegetable  scoop,  simmer  for  twenty 
minutes  in  salted  water,  drain  and  place 
in  a  quart  of  the  water  in  which  the  pota- 
toes (in  this  same  menu)  were  boiled. 
Add  a  handful  of  chiffonade,  cook  five 
minutes  and  serve. 

Paupiettes  de  Veau. — Cut  thin  cutlets 
from  a  fillet  of  veal  and  beat  them  flat 
and  even.  Also  mince  a  small  quantity 
of  the  veal  very  fine,  mix  it  with  some 
of  the  kidney  fat,  also  minced  fine,  and 
87 


88      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

half  a  dozen  minced  anchovies,  adding 
a  little  salt,  ginger  and  powdered  mace. 
Place  this  mixture  over  the  slices  of  veal 
and  roll  them  up.  Beat  up  an  egg,  dip 
the  rolled  slices  in  it  and  then  in  sifted 
breadcrumbs.  Let  them  stand  for  fif- 
teen or  twenty  minutes,  egg  them  again, 
roll  in  breadcrumbs  and  fry  to  a  golden 
brown  in  boiling  lard  or  clarified  drip- 
ping, or  stew  them  in  some  rich  gravy 
with  half  a  pint  of  white  wine  and  a 
small  quantity  of  walnut  pickle. 

Pommes  de  Terre,  Maitre  d'Hotel.— Cut 
up  carefully  selected,  underboiled  and 
cold  potatoes  in  rather  thick  slices. 
Dredge  half  a  tablespoonful  of  flour  in  a 
saucepan  with  a  lump  of  butter  and 
when  smooth  add  gradually  a  cupful  of 
broth,  stirring  till  it  boils.  Place  in  the 
potatoes  along  with  a  tablespoonful  of 
chopped  parsley  and  pepper  and  salt. 
Stew  for  three  or  four  minutes,  remove 
the  pan  to  the  side  of  the  fire  and  add 
quickly  the  yolk  of  an  egg  previously 
well  beaten  with  a  teaspoonful  of  cold 
water  and  a  little  lemon  juice.  When 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS      89 

the  egg  has  become  thickened,  turn  the 
potatoes  with  their  sauce  on  a  flat  dish 
and  serve. 

Salade  de  Laitue. — Select  fine  lettuces, 
remove  the  coarse  outer  leaves,  wash 
and  wipe,  place  in  a  salad  bowl  and 
sprinkle  over  a  tablespoonf ul  of  chopped 
chives,  half  a  teaspoonful  each  of 
chopped  chervil  and  tarragon.  Season 
with  a  pinch  of  salt,  half  a  teaspoonful 
of  pepper,  two  tablespoonfuls  of  vinegar 
and  a  tablespoonf  ul  and  a  half  of  oil. 
Mix  thoroughly  and  serve. 

Feuillantines. — Prepare  some  puff 
paste;  roll  out  to  about  a  third  of  an  inch 
thick  and  cut  into  strips  an  inch  wide 
and  two  inches  long.  Spread  a  baking 
dish  thick  with  butter,  arrange  the  pieces 
of  paste  on  it,  placing  them  upon  their 
sides  and  leaving  a  small  space  between 
them.  Put  them  in  the  oven  and  when 
they  are  firm  and  their  sides  have 
spread,  glaze  them  with  white  of  egg 
and  dust  with  powdered  sugar.  As  the 
feuillantines  are  cooked  set  them  on 
paper  and  drain  off  any  extra  grease. 


90      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

Now  mask  them  separately  with  small 
quantities  of  different  colored  jams. 
Arrange  on  fancy  edged  dish-paper  or  a 
folded  napkin  on  a  dish  and  serve. 


XIX 

MENU 

Potage  Creme  d'Orge 
Boeuf  a  la  Mode 
Pommes  de  Terre,  Sautdes 
Salade  de  Romaine 
Souffle  au  Chocolat 

Potage  Creme  d'Orge. — Mix  in  a  sauce- 
pan a  teacupful  of  barley,  an  onion,  a 
small  piece  of  cinnamon,  half  a  blade 
of  mace  and  three  pints  of  water  in 
which  potatoes  have  been  boiled.  When 
the  mixture  boils  remove  from  the  center 
of  the  fire  and  allow  to  simmer  slowly  for 
three  hours  or  more.  Pass  through  a 
fine  sieve  and  return  to  saucepan.  Mix 
in  two  tablespoonfuls  of  butter  and  half 
a  pint  of  boiling  milk,  season  with  pep- 
per and  salt.  Beat  an  egg  yolk  in  a 
teacupful  of  milk,  mix  in  the  soup  but 
do  not  allow  to  boil  after  egg  is  added. 
Serve  with  croutons. 

91 


92      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

Boeuf  a  la  Mode.— Take  the  under  part 
of  a  round  of  beef,  place  it  in  a  deep 
earthen  dish  and  pour  over  it  spiced 
vinegar.  Let  the  meat  remain  in  this 
for  several  hours,  then  dress  it  with 
strips  of  salt  pork,  a  third  of  an  inch 
square,  inserted  in  incisions  made  a  few 
inches  apart.  Stuff  larger  incisions 
with  breadcrumbs  highly  seasoned  with 
salt,  pepper,  onions,  thyme  and  mar- 
joram. Bind  the  beef  into  a  shape  to 
retain  the  dressing  and  dredge  with 
flour.  Then  cut  up  two  onions,  half  a 
carrot  and  half  a  turnip  and  fry  in  fat 
drippings  till  brown  and  place  in  a 
stewpan.  Brown  the  meat  all  over  with 
the  same  fat,  place  on  a  trivet  in  the  pan, 
half  cover  with  boiling  water,  add  a 
small  quantity  of  mixed  herbs  tied  in  a 
bag,  cover  and  simmer  for  about  four 
hours,  or  till  done.  Take  out  carefully, 
remove  strings  and  cloth,  and  place  on  a 
large  dish.  Skim  off  the  fat  from  the 
gravy,  add  more  seasoning,  thicken 
with  wetted  flour  worked  smooth,  boil 
for  eight  or  ten  minutes  and  strain  over 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS      93 

the  meat.  Decorate  with  small  onions 
and  potato  balls. 

Pommes  de  Terre,  Sautees. — Boil  pota- 
toes until  almost  done,  cut  into  quar- 
ters or  slices  of  medium  thickness. 
Melt  butter  or  clarified  drippings  in  a 
frying  pan,  put  in  the  potatoes  sprinkled 
with  salt  and  pepper  and  finely  chopped 
parsley  and  toss  over  the  fire  till  they 
are  a  fine  golden  brown  color.  Serve 
with  chopped  parsley. 

Salade  de  Romaine. — Put  crisp  leaves 
of  romaine  in  a  salad  bowl  rubbed 
lightly  with  a  shallot  or  new  onion. 
Make  the  following  dressing.  Take 
one  hard-boiled  egg  and  mash  it  as 
finely  as  possible  with  a  fork,  add  a 
little  paprika,  a  pinch  of  salt,  half  a 
teaspoonful  of  French  mustard,  a  tea- 
spoonful  of  hashed  chives,  the  same  of 
hashed  tarragon,  two  tablespoonfuls  of 
oil  and  three  of  vinegar.  Add  this  to  the 
rofhaine,  toss  well  and  serve. 

Souffle  au  Chocolat. — Mix  a  small  table- 
spoonful  of  starch  with  a  gill  of  milk  and 
when  quite  smooth  add  two  ounces  of 


94      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

powdered  sugar  and  two  ounces  of 
butter.  Put  the  mixture  into  a  sauce- 
pan and  stir  over  the  fire  till  it  boils. 
When  cold  stir  in  an  ounce  of  grated 
chocolate  and  the  yolks  of  two  eggs. 
Beat  well  together  till  perfectly  smooth, 
then  mix  in  the  whites  of  the  eggs. 
Pour  into  a  buttered  souffle  dish  and 
bake  for  forty  minutes. 


XX 

MENU 

Potage  Gourmet 
Eglefin  a  la  Maitre  d'H6tel 
Pommes  de  Terre,  Casserole 
Salade  de  Tomates  et  de  Laitue 
Canards  Sauvages,  Sauce  Orange 
Souffle  au  Citron 

Potage  Gourmet.— Pour  into  a  sauce- 
pan about  a  quart  of  the  water  in  which 
potatoes  have  been  boiled,  add  a  small 
amount  of  cold  chicken  cut  in  small  dice, 
two  tablespoonfuls  of  boiled  rice,  two 
tablespoonfuls  of  cooked  green  peas  and 
one  truffle  cut  into  dice,  also  pepper  and 
salt,  along  with  one  or  two  whole  cloves. 
Bring  to  a  boil,  allow  to  simmer  for  fif- 
teen minutes,  and  serve. 

Eglefin  a  la  Maitre  d'  Hotel.— Cut  a 
cleaned  haddock  open  at  the  back  on 
each  side  of  the  bone,  duct  with  pepper 

95 


96      TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

and  salt,  dip  in  flour,  place  on  a  gridiron 
over  a  clear  fire  and  cook  for  about 
twenty  minutes,  turning  carefully  from 
time  to  time.  Remove  from  the  fire, 
place  two  ounces  of  butter  on  the  back 
of  the  fish,  place  it  in  the  oven  to  melt 
the  butter,  then,  put  the  fish  on  a  hot 
platter  and  sprinkle  with  mince  parsley 
and  lemon  juice,  the  latter  heated. 

Fortunes  de  Terre,  Casserole. — Boil  a 
pound  or  two  of  potatoes,  drain  and 
mash  and  make  into  a  stiff  paste  by  add- 
ing butter  and  milk  together  with  a  little 
salt.  Form  into  a  casserole,  put  on  a 
dish,  make  an  opening  in  the  top,  brown 
in  the  oven  and  serve. 

Salade  de  Tomates  et  Laitue. — Split 
the  white  leaves  of  lettuce  into  quarters 
and  place  in  a  bowl.  Cut  tomatoes  into 
thin  slices  and  place  over  the  lettuce. 
Season  with  a  sauce  made  of  one  part  of 
vinegar,  two  of  oil,  a  little  salt  and 
pepper.  Pour  the  sauce  over  just  before 
serving. 

Canards  Sauvages,  Sauce  Orange. — Roast 
two  wild  ducks  over  a  brisk  fire,  having 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS      97 

them  underdone,  more  or  less,  according 
to  taste.  Baste  all  the  time  they  are 
cooking  with  butter  and  the  juice  of 
lemon  and  serve  with  the  following 
sauce.  Shred  finely  the  rind  of  two 
oranges  and  parboil  in  a  little  water. 
Melt  an  ounce  of  butter  and  stir  into  it 
a  dessertspoonful  of  flour  moistened 
with  a  little  water.  Stir  well  over  the 
fire  and  then  add  the  juice  of  the  two 
oranges,  some  very  clear  gravy,  flavor 
with  pepper  and  salt  and  cayenne,  then 
add  the  parboiled  orange  rind.  Let  the 
sauce  boil  and  keep  hot  till  wanted. 

Souffle  au  Citron. — Put  three  egg  yolks 
and  three  ounces  of  powdered  sugar  into 
a  basin  with  the  grated  rind  of  a  lemon 
and  a  half  and  stir  till  quite  thick.  Add 
slowly  a  tablespoonful  of  lemon  juice 
and  then,  quickly,  the  well  beaten  whites 
of  the  three  eggs.  Pour  into  a  pie  dish 
and  bake  in  a  medium  oven  for  twenty 
minutes.  When  the  surface  is  a  golden 
brown  it  is  done.  Serve  immediately. 


XXI 

MENU 

Filets  de  Carrelets,  Italienne 
Pommes  de  Terre,  Loulou 
Cailles  Rotis 

Salade  des  Tomates  et  d'Artichauts 
Vol-au-Vent,  Chantilly 

Filets  de  Carrelets,  Italienne. — Take  the 
fillets  of  two  firm  flounders,  trim  and 
flour  each  piece  lightly.  Dip  in  egg 
beaten  with  pepper  and  salt,  cover  on 
both  sides  with  stale  breadcrumbs  and 
fry  in  boiling  olive  oil.  When  the  fillets 
are  a  golden  brown  place  on  a  sieve  in 
front  of  the  fire  with  a  soft  paper  be- 
neath them  that  they  may  drain.  Serve 
with  fried  parsley  and  quarters  of 
lemon. 

Pommes  de  Terre,  Loulou. — Chop  raw 
potatoes  fine  and  place  them  in  a  sauce- 
pan with  butter  and  a  seasoning  of  pep- 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS      99 

per,  salt,  paprika  and  a  trace  of  nutmeg. 
Cover  and  cook  very  slowly,  agitating 
them  constantly.  When  they  become 
soft,  beat  well  and  arrange  a  layer  on  a 
vegetable  dish,  sprinkle  with  Parmesan 
cheese,  put  on  another  layer  of  pota- 
toes, then  more  cheese,  and  so  on,  hav- 
ing the  top  layer  of  cheese.  Pour  over 
all  melted  butter  and  bake  about  twenty 
minutes  in  a  slow  oven. 

Cailles  Rotis. — Tie  a  thin  slice  of  bacon 
over  the  breast  of  each  quail,  roast  them 
at  a  clear  fire  for  fifteen  minutes,  basting 
frequently.  Lay  them  on  crisp  buttered 
toast,  sprinkle  with  minced  parsely,  salt 
and  paprika,  and  serve  with  a  rich  wine 
jelly  on  a  separate  dish. 

Salade  des  Tomates  et  d'Artichauts. — 
Cut  the  under  part  of  boiled  artichokes 
into  slices  and  take  the  same  number  of 
slices  of  tomato.  Dip  both  into  a 
dressing  made  of  olive  oil,  vinegar, 
tarragon,  chervil,  salt  and  pepper,  with 
a  little  mustard  and  arrange  in  a  salad 
bowl.  Pour  over  the  remainder  of  the 
dressing  and  serve. 


100    TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

Vol-au-Vent,  Chantilly.— Roll  a  pound 
of  puff  paste  to  about  an  eighth  of  an 
inch  in  thickness  and  cut  out  about 
thirty  rounds  with  a  fluted  cutter,  about 
two  and  a  half  inches  in  diameter.  Then 
cut  out  the  center  of  these  with  a  cutter 
about  an  inch  across.  Roll  out  the 
paste  taken  from  the  centers  and  cut 
out  more  rings  in  the  same  way.  Brush 
the  rings  over  with  egg,  place  one  on  top 
of  another,  two  by  two,  press  together 
so  that  they  will  stick,  place  on  a  baking 
sheet,  brush  over  with  egg  and  bake  in  a 
brisk  oven.  When  almost  done  sprinkle 
with  sugar  and  allow  to  remain  in  the 
oven  till  they  are  glazed  and  fully  done. 
Remove  and  place  on  a  warmed  platter 
and  fill  with  any  sort  of  cream  desired, 
or  jam  or  tart  marmalade. 


XXII 

MENU 

Potage  Julienne 
Homard  Bordelaise 
Canard  a  la  Reine 
Salade  &  la  Russe 
Cafe  Bavaroise 

Potage  Julienne. — Cut  carrots,  onions, 
leeks  and  turnips  into  thin  slices  or 
strips  of  equal  size  with  a  head  of  celery. 
Put  all  into  two  ounces  of  butter  melted 
in  a  saucepan  and  toss  over  a  slow  fire 
for  a  few  minutes.  If  desired  other 
vegetables  in  season  such  as  cauliflower, 
peas  or  asparagus  may  be  added.  Pour 
clear  chicken  broth  over  the  vegetables, 
put  in  some  pieces  of  cold  chicken, 
allow  to  come  to  a  boil,  then  simmer  till 
the  vegetables  are  tender  and  pour  the 
whole  into  the  tureen  with  sippets  of 
toast. 

101 


102    TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

Homard  Bordelaise. — Cut  a  small  car- 
rot and  an  onion  into  fine  pieces  and 
boil  for  five  minutes  in  a  wineglassful 
of  red  wine.  Now  add  the  meat  from 
two  lobsters,  cut  in  small  pieces,  say, 
about  a  pound  and  a  half.  Season  with 
a  very  little  pepper,  salt,  and  a  trace 
of  nutmeg,  adding,  just  before  the 
lobster  is  cooked,  about  half  a  pint  of 
veloute*  sauce.  Stew  well  together  and 
serve  at  once. 

Canard  a  la  Reine. — Cut  off  one  wing 
of  a  duck  and  half  the  breast  from  the 
same  side,  remove  the  skin,  take  out 
the  bone  and  fill  the  place  with  quenelle 
forcemeat.  Lard  the  breast  and  put  it 
into  a  braising  pan  over  slices  of  leeks, 
carrots  and  onions  and  a  little  thyme, 
chervil,  bay  leaves  and  lemon  peel.  Add 
sufficient  stock  to  prevent  burning,  set 
the  pan  on  the  fire  and  braise  the  duck, 
then  glaze  it.  Serve  with  a  puree  of 
beans  for  garnish. 

Salade  a  la  Russe. — Cut  cold  chicken 
and  salmon  into  thin  slices,  arrange  in 
a  salad  dish  and  mix  with  finely  cut 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS     103 

cooked  asparagus  heads,  carrots  and 
cauliflower,  a  few  capers  and  a  little 
caviare.  The  dressing  is  made  with 
three  parts  of  oil  and  one  of  vinegar,  a 
little  mustard  and  cayenne  pepper  and 
a  tablespoonful  of  minced  onion.  Pour 
over  the  salad  and  stand  on  the  ice  till 
served. 

Cafe  Bavaroise. — Grind  half  a  pound  of 
green  coffee,  roast  in  a  sugar  boiler  with- 
out burning  it  or  even  browning  and 
soak  a  quart  of  milk  with  it  for  about  an 
hour.  Now  stir  into  a  cupful  of  flour  a 
teaspoonful  of  castor  sugar  into  which 
has  been  dropped  a  little  vanilla  extract, 
and  a  little  salt.  Stir  this  all  in  with 
the  strained  coffee-flavored  milk,  bring 
to  a  boil,  remove  from  the  fire  and  stir 
in  the  yolks,  then  the  whites  of  three 
eggs,  all  beaten  firm.  Fill  paper  cases 
with  the  mixture,  bake,  sprinkle  castor 
sugar  over  the  tops  and  serve  at  once. 


XXIII 

MENU 

Huitres  a  TAmericaine 

Boeuf  a  1'Aurore 

Pommes  de  Terre,  Lyonnaise 

Salade  Frangaise 

Creme  a  la  Russe 

Huitres  a  PAmericaine. — Place  in  a 
sauce  bowl  a  heaped  teaspoonful  of 
salt,  three-quarters  of  a  teaspoonful  of 
white  pepper,  a  medium  sized  onion, 
chopped,  and  a  teaspoonful  of  minced 
parsley.  Mix  lightly  together  along 
with  a  teaspoonful  of  olive  oil,  six  drops 
of  tobasco  sauce,  a  little  Worcestershire 
sauce  and  a  gill  of  vinegar.  Put  a  tea- 
spoonful  of  this  mixture  on  each  raw 
oyster  just  before  taking  to  the  table. 

Boeuf  a  PAurore. — Season  two  steaks 
of  about  three-quarters  of  a  pound  each 
(any  ordinary  cut  will  do)  with  salt  and 

104 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS    105 

pepper,  baste  on  either  side  with  a  little 
oil  and  broil  over  a  brisk  fire  for  six 
minutes.  Place  on  a  hot  dish  and  serve 
with  the  following  sauce  poured  over: 
Mix  in  a  saucepan  a  small  glass  of  mush- 
room liquor  with  half  a  pint  of  bechamel 
sauce,  half  an  ounce  of  butter  and  two 
or  three  tablespoonfuls  of  tomato  sauce. 
Place  on  the  fire,  stir  for  ten  minutes 
and  just  before  removing  add  whole 
mushrooms  cut  in  squares. 

Salade  Frangaise.— Chop  fine  a  bunch 
of  parsley,  two  small  onions  and  six 
anchovies.  Lay  them  in  a  bowl  and 
mix  with  salt  and  mustard  to  taste, 
two  tablespoonfuls  of  salad  oil  and  a 
gill  of  vinegar.  Stir  all  well  together 
and  then  add,  one  at  a  time,  some  very 
thin  strips  of  cold  roasted  or  boiled 
meat,  not  more  than  three  or  four  inches 
long.  Shake  the  slices  well  in  the  dress- 
ing. Cover  the  bowl  closely  and  allow 
to  stand  for  at  least  three  hours.  Serve 
garnished  with  parsley. 

Pommes  de  Terre,  Lyonnaise. — Cut  into 
round  slices  eight  boiled  potatoes,  lay 


106    TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

them  in  a  frying  pan  with  an  ounce  and 
a  half  of  butter  and  the  slices  of  a  partly 
cooked  onion.  Season  with  salt  and 
pepper  and  cook  till  the  potatoes  become 
well  browned,  tossing  all  the  while. 
Serve  with  chopped  parsley  sprinkled 
over. 

Creme  a  la  Russe. — Put  into  a  saucepan 
a  pint  of  milk,  half  a  pound  of  lump 
sugar,  the  grated  rind  of  two  lemons  and 
an  ounce  of  gelatine,  previously  soaked 
in  water.  Cook  till  the  sugar  dissolves 
over  a  slow  fire,  then  allow  the  mixture 
to  cool  somewhat  before  stirring  in  the 
yolks  of  two  eggs,  unbeaten.  Place  on 
the  fire  to  curdle.  Strain,  and  when  cool 
add  the  juice  of  the  two  lemons  and  the 
whites  of  the  eggs  beaten  stiffly.  Stir 
all  well  together  and  pour  into  a  wet 
mould.  Turn  out  when  well  set. 


XXIV 

MENU 

Potage  Napolitaine 
Truites  a  la  Monbarry 
Croquettes  de  Pommes  de  Terre 
Celeri-rave  en  Salade 
Pouding  aux  Figues 

Potage  Napolitaine. — Boil  in  strong 
bouillon  small  forcemeat  balls  made  of 
any  left-over  game  or  meat.  Then  soak 
croutons  in  the  same  bouillon.  Add  the 
forcemeat  balls  and  serve. 

Truites  a  la  Monbarry. — Prepare  sev- 
eral trout  and  lay  them  in  a  pan  with  a 
quarter  pound  of  butter  and  some  strong 
spices.  Allow  to  heat  slowly  in  an  open 
oven  and  when  the  butter  is  entirely 
melted,  drop  on  the  trout  two  well 
beaten  yolks  of  eggs.  Grate  cheese 
over  this  and  cover  all  with  a  quantity 
of  fine  breadcrumbs.  Brown  lightly  in 
a  hot  oven  and  serve. 

Croquettes  de  Pommes  de  Terre.— Boil 

107 


108    TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

and  drain  about  two  and  a  half  pounds 
of  potatoes.  Add  a  generous  quantity 
of  butter,  yolks  of  two  eggs,  salt  and 
pepper  and  the  white  of  the  eggs  beaten 
to  a  snow.  Beat  the  whole  up  briskly, 
shape  the  mixture  into  balls  and  fry  in  a 
pan. 

Celeri-rave  en  Salade. — Trim  carefully 
a  bunch  of  celery,  leaving  on  as  much  of 
the  root  as  possible.  Cut  in  half  and 
boil  in  salted  water  till  tender.  Then 
trim  into  even  sticks  and  season  it  very 
piquantly  with  French  mustard,  a  few 
young  onions,  pepper,  salt  and  finely 
chopped  parsley.  Garnish  with  lettuce- 
leaves  and  slices  of  beet. 

Pouding  aux  Figues. — Mix  in  a  large 
bowl  a  cupful  of  breadcrumbs,  half  a 
cup  of  farina,  a  pinch  of  salt,  a  cup  of 
suet,  cut  fine,  a  cup  of  powdered  sugar, 
a  minced  carrot  and  a  cup  and  a  half 
of  chopped  figs.  Grease  a  baking  mould, 
line  it  with  whole  figs,  and  empty  the 
mixture  into  it.  Cook  for  four  hours, 
the  pan  standing  in  water.  Serve  hot 
with  a  rum  sauce. 


LET  US  EAT  FISH 

A  FAMOUS  FRENCH  LUNCHEON 
A  L'AMERICAINE 

Only  in  the  Latin  countries  has  fish 
as  an  edible  ever  been  fully  appreciated 
and,  as  is  the  case  with  most  other  things 
gastronomic,  it  is  in  France  that  the 
food  possibilities  of  the  denizens  of  the 
water  have  been  brought  nearest  per- 
fection. 

Over  here  we  have  always  seemed  to 
regard  fish  as  useful  chiefly  for  stocking 
aquariums  or  for  furnishing  sport  for 
the  vacationist,  along  with  golf,  tennis 
and  bowling.  True,  we  have  become 
rather  well  acquainted  with  certain 
sea  foods,  the  oysters,  Blue  Points  and 
Cape  Cods ;  we  have  a  nodding  acquaint- 
ance with  some  of  the  clam  clan,  espe- 
cially the  Rhode  Island  branch,  and  the 
Little  Necks,  the  blue  bloods  of  the 
family,  And,  of  course,  we  are  familiar 

109 


110    TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

with  the  crustaceans,  the  lobsters  and 
the  crabs. 

And  we  know,  too,  certain  succulent 
sea  delicacies  that  come  to  us  from  Palm 
Beach  shores  and  California  and  Oregon 
regions,  tuna  and  halibut,  bluefish  and 
salmon  as  it  comes  to  us  variously  pre- 
pared for  the  table.  In  short,  we  Ameri- 
cans are  fairly  friendly  with  a  number 
of  the  aristocrats  of  the  water,  but  on 
analyzing  the  situation  we  come  to 
realize  that  as  for  knowing  the  "finny 
tribe"  as  a  whole  well  enough  to  get 
complete  gastronomic  joy  out  of  the 
situation,  it  remains  that  it  is  only  the 
French  people  who  are  so  blessed. 

Time  and  the  hour  and  the  high  price 
of  meat,  however,  render  it  advisable, 
even  absolutely  necessary,  that  we  work 
all  our  resources  instead  of  only  a  part 
of  them,  to  economize  whenever  and 
wherever  we  can,  and  the  waters  in  our 
midst  and  around  us  are  surely  one  of 
the  most  important  resources  not  already 
worked  to  the  limit. 

Therefore,  let  us  eat  fish — but  first 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS     111 

let  us  learn  of  the  French  about  fish, 
even  as  we  have  learned  of  them  con- 
cerning other  foods,  or  as  we  have 
learned  fashions,  for,  verily,  the  turning 
out  of  a  proper  fish  dish  for  the  table 
has  ever  been  regarded  by  the  French 
as  no  less  an  art  than  the  creation  of  a 
beautiful  frock  in  one  of  their  ateliers. 
Moreover,  their  ways  with  fish  are  so 
broadly  inclusive  that  one  may  make 
up  an  entire  menu  from  one  end  to  the 
other,  with  only  a  cup  of  coffee  needed 
as  a  final  fillip  to  make  a  perfect  meal — 
and  all  of  fish. 

By  way  of  furnishing  inspiration  to 
our  own  appetites,  herewith  is  a  sug- 
gestion for  a  fish  luncheon,  a  favorite 
menu  of  France,  which  its  wealth  and 
fashion  delighted  to  have  set  before  it 
in  those  good  old  days  before  the  war. 
Substitutes  are  given  for  any  fish  not 
indigenous  to  American  waters;  other- 
wise it  is  just  as  it  would  be  served  at  one 
of  the  Riviera  restaurants,  with  the 
exception,  of  course,  that  on  the 
Riviera  or  at  any  of  the  noted  marine 


112    TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

restaurants,  the  visitor  himself  was  per- 
mitted to  select  the  fish  for  each  course 
from  among  the  different  specimens 
swimming  in  the  reserves,  altogether 
unconscious  of  impending  fate. 

No  French  restauranteur  worthy  the 
name  ever  kept  dead  fish  in  stock,  for 
nothing  deteriorates  so  quickly.  There 
is  rarely  over  here  the  natural  reserve 
that  the  Riviera  takes  as  a  matter  of 
course,  although  there  is,  in  some  res- 
taurants, the  tank  of  running  water  in 
which  the  fish  are  kept  in  condition  till 
required. 


AN  ALL  FISH  LUNCHEON 

MENU 

Hors  d'CEuvres.  Little  Necks  or  Blue  Points. 

(At  Monte  Carlo  one  would  be  served  Clovisses.) 

Lobster  with  Sauce  Piquante. 

(A  substitute  for  the  French  langouste,  which  is 
similar  to  a  giant  lobster  minus  the  two  long 
nippers.  Or  there  might  be  served  abroad  for 
this  course  a  little  gelatinous  fellow  called  supion, 
or  sea-hedgehog,  or  perhaps  nonnots,  smaller  and 
more  delicate  than  our  own  whitefish.) 

French  Sardines  Grilled,  or  Shad  Planked. 

(Shad  is  a  most  satisfactory  substitute  for  the 
French  restauranteur's  delight — loup  de  mer.) 

Flounder,  Sauce  Meuniere,  or  Shrimps. 

(In  Dieppe  sole  and  certain  crevettes  are  both 
specialties  and  are  served  at  this  juncture,  but 
little  sole  is  being  received  here  and  our  own 
flounder  answers  requirements  admirably .  Shrimps, 
too,  will  please  an  American  palate  fully  as  well  as 
the  crevettes. 

Bouillabaisse. 

(This,  for  which  we  have  no  nearer  synonym  than 
fish  stew,  which  is  a  libel,  is  the  piece  de  resistance 
of  the  luncheon.  It  is  probably  the  most  famous 
fish  dish  of  France.) 

Salade  de  Poisson  with  Aioli. 

(Aioli  is  a  Mediterranean  mayonnaise  and  "the 
dressing,"  the  French  say,  "is  the  soul  of  the 
salad." 

113 


114    TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

It  will  be  noted  that  there  is  no 
dessert  given  with  the  above  menu, 
but  the  repast  may  be  gracefully  topped 
off  with  crackers  and  cheese  and  cafe 
noir.  Tea  is  never  served  with  fish,  as 
the  tannin  is  said  to  render  fish  par- 
ticularly indigestible. 


TO  PREPARE  THE  LUNCHEON 

The  French  disdain  the  pepper,  horse- 
radish and  tomato  mixtures  with  which 
we  are  wont  to  dress  raw  oysters,  pre- 
ferring to  get  the  full  coppery  taste 
peculiar  to  their  home  product,  but  the 
American  oyster,  even  these  artists  of 
the  culinary  department  agree,  re- 
quires a  dressing  to  bring  out  the  flavor. 
As  for  the  clovisse,  which  is,  by  the  way, 
first  cousin  to  our  clam,  it  is  eaten  from 
the  shell,  each  clovisse  being  opened 
immediately  before  being  disposed  of. 

Lobster  as  here  served  to  take  the 
place  of  the  French  langouste,  tastes 
much  like  deviled  lobster.  The  sauce 
piquante  is  made  as  follows:  Into  a 
saucepan  put  a  tablespoonful  of  finely 
chopped  onion  with  a  little  salt,  grated 
nutmeg,  black  pepper  and  an  ounce  of 
butter.  When  this  melts  and  blends 
add  a  little  chopped  red  pepper  along 

115 


116    TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

with  three  tablespoonfuls  of  vinegar 
and  a  teaspoonful  of  mustard.  Stir 
together  well,  then  mix  in  half  an  ounce 
of  flour  and  half  a  pint  of  fish  stock. 
Simmer  for  half  an  hour,  skimming 
occasionally  and,  finally  add  a  chopped 
pickled  gherkin. 

Sauce  Meuniere,  served  with  the  sole, 
or,  in  this  case  with  the  flounder,  is 
made  by  adding  a  few  shrimps  and  mus- 
sels, minced,  to  a  pint  of  white  wine  in  a 
saucepan,  along  with  a  cupful  of  minced 
mushrooms,  a  teaspoonful  of  butter, 
salt  and  pepper  and  three  or  four  cloves. 
Simmer  for  twenty  minutes  and  pour 
over  the  fish  just  before  serving. 

Salade  de  Poisson,  Aioli,  is  made  by  tak- 
ing any  cold  fish,  say  salmon,  with  this 
menu.  It  is  flaked  and  marinaded  in 
oil  and  vinegar  seasoned  well  with  pep- 
per and  salt.  Allow  to  remain  for  an 
hour  or  so,  then  remove  and  arrange 
compactly  in  a  salad  bowl.  The  aioli, 
the  Mediterranean  delicacy  with  which 
it  is  served,  is  made  by  whipping  two 
eggs,  four  teaspoonfuls  of  olive  oil,  a 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS    117 

half  teaspoonful  of  French  mustard 
and  a  half  cupful  of  cream  together 
till  stiff,  in  a  bowl  rubbed  with  garlic. 
Heap  this  on  the  center  of  the  fish. 

As  for  the  Bouillabaisse,  it  is  like  our 
own  Welsh  Rabbit  in  so  far  as  hardly 
any  two  persons  make  it  alike.  Here 
are  two  recipes  which  gastronomic  au- 
thorities have  accorded  the  meed  of 
highest  praise: 

No.  l.: — Cut  into  pieces  and  remove 
the  bones  from  three  pounds  of  fish; 
say  one  pound  each  of  cod,  halibut  and 
bluefish,  though  any  fish  of  like  nature 
will  do.  To  these  add  the  cooked  meat 
of  one  lobster  or  two  crabs,  and  six 
shrimps  and  put  all  into  a  casserole  in 
half  a  pint  or  more  of  olive  oil  to  cook, 
adding  one  lemon,  sliced,  two  tomatoes, 
one  onion,  one  sliced  carrot,  a  bunch  of 
saffron,  a  bunch  of  parsley,  a  bayleaf 
and  a  clove  of  garlic — or  have  the 
casserole  rubbed  with  the  garlic.  Cook 
for  ten  minutes,  stirring  frequently, 
then  add  one  cup  of  soup  stock  and  a 
glass  of  wine  or  cider.  Cook  for  fifteen 


118    TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

minutes  longer,  remove  to  a  hot  bowl, 
line  the  casserole  with  slices  of  toast, 
and  pour  back  the  bouillabaisse.  Serve 
at  once. 

No.  2. — Place  the  pieces  of  fish  to 
any  desired  amount  in  a  large  saucepan, 
add  two  or  three  sliced  onions,  one  or 
two  sliced  carrots,  three  shallots,  two 
cloves  of  garlic,  a  bunch  of  thyme  and 
parsley,  three  or  four  cloves,  two  bay- 
leaves,  half  a  teaspoonful  of  capsicum, 
a  wine-glass  of  olive  oil  and  salt  and 
pepper  to  taste.  Pour  over  the  above 
mixture  two  quarts  of  water  and  boil 
gently  for  half  an  hour,  the  pan  covered. 
Drain  and  lay  on  a  hot  dish.  Then  mix 
a  teaspoonful  of  saffron  in  the  liquid, 
pass  through  a  strainer  into  a  soup 
tureen.  Serve  the  soup  with  the  fish 
and  a  plate  of  croutons  of  fried  bread  or 
sippets  of  toast. 


FISH  A  LA  MARSEILLES 

The  French  have  another  fish  dish 
which,  like  bouillabaisse,  is  practically 
a  meal  in  itself  and  which  in  these 
days  should  be  better  known  to  the 
American  table.  It  is  a  specialty  in  the 
vicinity  of  Marseilles  and  made  there, 
of  course,  with  fish  peculiar  to  the  home 
waters,  but  M.  Auguste  Gay,  Chef  of 
the  Yale  Club,  New  York,  who,  inci- 
dentally, has  probably  given  more  atten- 
tion to  the  adaptation  of  French  cook- 
ery to  American  requirements  than  any 
other  chef,  is  authority  for  the  state- 
ment that  the  following  recipe  produces 
an  almost  perfect  substitute  for  the 
French  dish: 

Chop  into  fine  bits  a  small  sweet 
Chile  pepper  and  toss  it  about  in  a 
saucepan  over  the  fire  with  a  third  of  a 
cupful  of  olive  oil  or  butter.  When  hot 
add  a  cupful  of  okra  and  the  same 

119 


120    TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

amount  of  stewed  fresh  or  canned  toma- 
toes. Cook  fifteen  minutes  and  add  a 
full  cupful  of  cooked  fresh  fish — cod, 
haddock,  etc.,  and  a  half  cupful  of 
flaked  salt  fish,  mackerel,  for  instance. 
Cover  and  cook  for  twenty  minutes 
longer  and  serve  with  water  crackers. 


GENERAL  CONSIDERATIONS 

One  secret  of  the  French  cook's 
superiority  to  the  American  in  preparing 
fish  is  that  the  former  has  almost  a  con- 
genital knowledge  of  his  subject.  To 
him  all  fish  is  not  just  fish.  He  dif- 
ferentiates sharply  as  to  species,  tem- 
pering his  treatment  to  varied  require- 
ments. 

Roughly,  there  are  two  classes  of  fish: 
those  which  have  dark  flesh  or  flesh 
with  a  pinkish  tone  which  is  streaked 
with  fat,  and  those  which  have  white, 
firm  flesh  and  are  the  more  digestible. 
Best  known  in  the  first  class  are  shad, 
butterfish,  bluefish,  salmon,  mackerel 
and  sturgeon,  and  in  the  second,  cod, 
halibut,  flounder,  trout,  rock  and  sea 
bass,  pompano,  weakfish  and  perch. 

One  matter-of-course  rule  is  that  no 
fish  of  whatever  kind  shall  be  allowed 
to  enter  the  kitchen  unless  it  is  per- 

1121 


122    TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

fectly  fresh.  To  be  sure  of  this  see  that 
the  gills  are  bright  and  shining  and  the 
flesh  firm,  not  readily  separating  from 
the  bones.  That  settled,  you  have  an 
almost  endless  choice  of  ways  of  cook- 
ing. 

Fish  may  be  boiled,  broiled,  fried, 
baked,  planked,  creamed,  steamed, 
cooked  en  casserole,  jellied  or  pickled, 
but  of  all  these  ways  none  produces 
quite  the  universally  satisfactory  re- 
sults with  a  sizable  fish  that  planking 
does,  and  planking  is  not  more  difficult 
or  expensive  than  other  methods. 

All  that  is  required  in  the  way  of 
accoutrements  is  a  half -inch-thick  hard- 
wood board  which  is  heated  in  advance 
in  the  oven  when  planked  fish  is  to 
figure  on  the  menu.  Then  having  thor- 
oughly cleaned  the  fish,  removed  its 
head  and  tail,  split  it  up  the  back  half 
through  the  bone  so  that  it  will  open  out 
flat,  brush  it  with  butter  and  season 
with  pepper  and  salt,  place  it  skin-side 
down  on  the  board. 

Put  it  in  the  oven  and  when  it  is 


TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS     123 

done,  which  can  be  easily  ascertained 
by  lifting  a  bit  of  the  flesh,  you,  being 
American,  may  garnish  the  board  with 
mashed  and  seasoned  potatoes,  set  the 
board  back  in  the  oven  till  the  potatoes 
are  browned  and  serve.  The  French,  on 
taking  the  cooked  fish  from  the  oven, 
merely  brush  it  with  a  little  oil  or  melted 
butter,  squeeze  some  lemon  juice  over, 
sprinkle  a  few  bits  of  parsley  about, 
and  send  the  fish  thus  to  the  table. 

Small  fish,  such  as  perch,  smelts,  etc., 
are  best  fried  in  deep  fat  or  its  substi- 
tute, first  being  dipped  in  egg  and  rolled 
in  fine  cracker  or  breadcrumbs,  then 
served  with  a  Sauce  Mousseline,  mashed 
potatoes  or  boiled  new  ones,  and  a  crisp 
salad. 

This  Sauce  Mousseline  is  made  by 
beating  two  eggs  in  a  saucepan,  adding 
a  cupful  of  top  milk,  butter  the  size  of 
a  walnut  and  pepper  and  salt,  then  stir- 
ring over  the  fire  till  it  begins  to  thicken. 
When  of  the  proper  consistency,  add  a 
tablespoonful  of  lemon  juice  and  it  is 
ready  for  the  table. 


124     TWENTY-FOUR  FRENCH  DINNERS 

A  tart  sauce  for  boiled  fish  that  is 
much  favored  in  the  south  of  France 
but  which,  if  it  has  ever  crossed  the 
water,  has  kept  its  arrival  very  quiet, 
is  quite  simply  made  and  will  be  much 
liked  as  a  decided  change.  To  make  it 
dissolve  a  tablespoonful  of  powdered 
mustard  in  a  half  cupful  of  fish  stock 
and  add  two  tablespoonfuls  of  white 
wine  vinegar  by  preference,  though 
other  vinegar  will  do.  Let  this  come  to 
a  boil,  add  two  or  three  slices  of  lemon 
and  boil  a  few  minutes  longer.  Take 
from  the  fire  and  add  two  eggs  that  have 
been  beaten  with  a  teaspoonful  of  water. 
Season  with  salt  and  pepper  and  heat 
again  but  do  not  allow  to  boil. 


